Sunshine
by Wordwryhta
Summary: 2-D has been having recurring nightmares of Noodle being ripped from his arms and dragged deeper into hell. He awakens one day to realize that maybe his dreams are more real than he previously thought.
1. The Maze

She was running. Screaming. Claws, sharp as razors, ripped at her flesh, tore at her. Fire, seemingly from everywhere, licked at her skin. She blistered, she shrieked, she reached...for him. His name was on her lips, she called for him. He called her name, begging, pleading for her to simply turn around and see him reaching for her.

"I'm 'ere, Lil' Love!" he called, despairing, as she fled. "Please," he whispered into the darkness that enveloped him in her absence, "...please." With that, he darted after her, running as fast as he could to try to catch up with his love, but no matter how fast he ran, she seemed to get further away from him as she ran through mazes of hallways that seemed to twist and turn endlessly. Suddenly, he rounded a corner and was startled to find her standing still only a few yards away with her back turned to him. He could see her head turning frantically as though searching for something. 2-D realized that she must have been looking for another route. She was looking for a way out; for a way back to his arms.

"Noodle-girl, 'hit's me. 'Hit's 2-D," he said as he moved closer to her. She froze on the spot. Her back suddenly stiffening. She stood silently. 2-D became aware of a sickening sense of dread slowly building in his stomach making him want to wretch. Still, he moved forward against the nauseating lurch closer to her, closer to Noodle.

It had seemed that she had only been a short distance from him when he had come across her, but it took an eternity for him to bridge the distance to her now. He reached his hand out and, shaking, rested it on her shoulder, causing her to jump at the sudden contact. Slowly, she turned toward him. He felt the nauseating sensation dissolve into a voice in his head telling him to run, that he did not want to see her face. The screaming grew and grew until he was sure that his ears were bleeding from the sounds of the shrieks in his ears. But all fell away as she turned her head to him and he gazed upon her beautiful green eyes. The tears that had been threatening to fall finally began to flow freely. It was her. It was _his _Li'l Love.

She opened her mouth to speak, but 2-D watched, horror struck, as a black gaping mouth appeared in the wall behind her, and a thousand arms reached out to her. He tried to speak to warn her, but he found that the giant maw was swallowing his words before they crossed his lips. Instead, he reached for her, hoping to pull her away from the multitude of hands that reached for her, but suddenly, one shot forward. Noodle's body arched forward and an ear-shattering scream pierced through the air as the arm punched violently through her chest, splattering 2-D's face with blood—_her blood!_

He opened his mouth to scream and reached for her as her eyes locked with his, tears slipping down her cheeks, but he found that he was still silenced by the mouth. Her lips formed soundless words as 2-D's fingers brushed against her cheek. Suddenly, with an earsplitting cry from the great orafice, the arms shot violently back into the damned mouth, taking his Li'l Love with him. He was left in darkness, surrounded by the deafening silence and the warmth of her blood on his face as his mind tried to grasp the implications of her last words to him.

"I love you, Stuart."

* * *

2-D awoke from his fitful sleep with a start. He frantically threw his eyes around the room searching for her, but she was nowhere. She would never be. After El Maǹana, Noodle had been taken from them. Ripped from this earth and dragged to hell where she lived only in his occasional nightmares. "Thanks to Murdoc," he snorted to no one in particular.

After lying in bed for another eternity, he rolled out bed and rode the elevator from his room beneath the sea to the common room. "Speak of the Devil," he said, half to himself when the elevator doors opened to reveal Murdoc sitting in his underwear as usual on the worn down couch, his cigarette pursed in his frowning mouth. Murdoc gave no indication that he had seen the blue haired singer enter the room, so 2-D stumbled to the kitchenette behind the couch and fumbled in one of the cabinets until he found what he was looking for—his migraine pills. He poured some of the contents of the bottle into his hand and swallowed what landed there. Grimacing against the bitter taste of the pills, he grabbed a bottle of water and joined Murdoc on the couch.

"'Bout time you decided ta join the living, Faceache," he grumbled, downing a little more of the vodka bottle he was clenching in his hand.

2-D grunted a response and tried to focus on the movie Murdoc was watching, but his growing headache and his memory of the nightmare that had shaken him awake not thirty minutes before kept him from accomplishing his task. Eventually, he gave up entirely and laid his head back on the sofa and began to drift back off to sleep.

He was beginning to envision a young, beautiful face wreathed in uneven purple hair when Murdoc's gravelly voice cut into his musings, "Holy Hell, Faceache, is 'at all yer goin' to do today? Sit on yer ass and sleep?"

"Wa'cha wan' me to do?" 2-D responded.

Murdoc growled and grabbed 2-D roughly by the neck, tossing him off the couch."I ain't yer fookin' mother, Dullard, figure it out for yer fookin' self,"

"Ow, Muds, why'd ya do that? I jest asked ya a question," 2-D whined as he pulled himself off the floor

"Shut the fook up and make some breakfast, Dullard."

2-D rubbed his neck and strode to the kitchen, glad that, at least for now, that Murdoc's rage had been sated. "Okay, Muds, all ya had ta do was ask," he said as he searched the cabinets for the pans he would need to make one of the only meals he could: Bacon and eggs, slightly burnt.

He opened the refrigerator only to discover that they were lacking both of the ingredients he would need to make his meal and sighed to himself.

"'Ey, we're outta bacon and eggs, Muds," he said, emerging timidly from the small kitchen. Murdoc made no response.

"Muds?" 2-D questioned as he walked around the couch to look the bassist in the face. His eyes were wide and his green skin unusually pale as he stared at the television. "Murdoc, wha-" 2-D's interrogation was cut off suddenly as Murdoc's hand shot out and struck violently across his face, knocking him back to the ground.

Murdoc rose suddenly from the sofa, but he wasn't looking at 2-D. His eyes were still fixed on the television and the chilling laugh that issued from it.

"How the fook did you find us here?" Murdoc growled.

2-D looked at Murdoc curiously before following his gaze to the screen and was not shocked to see a man's face staring back at him. It was a telly after all. What did shock him what the image suddenly spoke—to Murdoc.

"Been looking for you for a while, Niccals," chuckled the man on the screen. He was a rather gruff looking man with a large scar marring his otherwise not unattractive face. "You would think it would be easier to find an attention whore such as yourself, but you have done quite a good job concealing your whereabouts," he said flashing a toothy grin.

"Ya won' know where we are fer long, Dielens" Murdoc rumbled, returning the man's sneer with one of his own and reaching for the remote to turn the television off.

"Aww, now play nice, Niccals, how're we to reestablish our old 'friendship' if you keep running off every time I give you a ring?" He was playing with Murdoc, and 2-D could see Murdoc beginning be become enraged, a prospect that was never good for the vocalist. "Besides," he said in a greasy voice that made 2-D's blood run cold, "I have something of yours."

Murdoc's face blanched, "What d'you mean?"

"Oh, so you don't know?" the man called Dielens said, smiling. "I really doubt that. Did you think I wouldn't recognize her? Black wig, black contacts. Try as hard as you could, I would recognize that face anywhere," he chuckled.

"Fook off, yer lying!" Murdoc barked, reaching again for the remote. 2-D looked at him curiously, wondering what was going on.

"So I guess you don't want her, then? Can I keep her?" Dielens said, chuckling.

Her? 2-d swiveled his head back to the screen. His heart stopped and a cry escaped from his lips as he stared at the television. There on the screen, struggling against Dielens' grasp, bloodied and bruised, was Noodle.


	2. A Thousand Miles

2-D sat still staring at the now-blank screen where his Lil' Love's terrified face had been moments before. Her words rang in his ears. His head was swimming, and he was finding it difficult to breathe.

"Come back?" he questioned himself, "But 'hit was all a dream, wan'it? I was 'sleep."

He shook his head to try to clear his mind of the mishmash of thoughts that fought violently for his attention when a sudden crash from behind him startled him back to reality.

"Gudammit!" Murdoc had been circling the floor furiously muttering to himself ever since the man named Dielens had suddenly cut the connection when he overturned the glass coffee table by which 2-D was sitting in stunned silence. "Wha' the fook wos she thinkin'?" he said as his eyes began to scan the room erratically looking for something.

2-D was sure that this was not the best time to interrupt Murdoc's angry musings, but there were questions he had to know the answer to.

"M-Muds?" he stammered quietly. When Murdoc made no response, 2-D tried again, louder this time, "Muds?" and 2-D jumped as Murdoc suddenly rounded on him.

"Wha' the fook do'ya want, Dullard?" he barked.

"I..I was just wonderin' 'oo dat wos," 2-D said quietly, inclining his head toward the television.

"None o' yer fookin business!" he shouted.

"But..'ee 'ad Noodle, Muds. An' she wos 'urt. Why? I fought she wos..." 2-D couldn't finish his thought. He wanted too much to believe that the woman on the screen, though older than when he had last seen her, was his Li'l Love. He looked at the older man plaintively, "Are we gonna go git 'er?"

"Get her? Are you fookin mental?" Murdoc was incredulous. "No, we're not 'gonna go git 'er.' We're gettin the hell outta here!" Murdoc suddenly strode forward, grabbing 2-D by the hair at the scruff of his neck and pulling 2-D's face even with his own, eliciting a cry from the blue haired singer, "We don' wanna mess wit that bastard Dielens. Ya got me, Dullard? Nothin' good can come from fookin wit a monster like him," he said as he tossed 2-D to the sofa.

"We can' leave Noodle-girl with 'im," 2-D pled, staring back at the Satanist's face, "Wha' would 'ee do ta 'er? Would 'ee kill 'er? We jus can' leave 'er, Muds. If you won' go git 'er, I will. Tell me where she is." He was stunned at his own boldness, but he knew that Noodle's life may depend on his determination. "I'd go through 'ell to fin' 'er, Muds, I would. Please, just tell me where she is," unbidden tears began to fill his eyes as he spoke.

Murdoc's enraged face visibly softened at 2-D's words, "Look, Faceache, I gotta lotta work to do," he said, "an' we gotta long trip 'head of us. I need ta make a coupla phone calls, so why don'chew go get packed. Take only wha'cha can carry, k?" 2-D immediately opened his mouth to protest, but Murdoc stayed his words with a raised hand, "I think all this time on this island without a woman has made me go crazy, or maybe there is some humanity left in these old bones, but for once in yer life, yer right. We can' leave her there. An' as far as goin' to hell to find her...we jes might before this is all over."

* * *

2-D stared blankly out over the ocean, wondering if there was ever an end to the infinite waterscape stretching before him. They had been asea for awhile now, and he began to find himself growing impatient and frustrated. He had long since stopped trying to glean any more information from Murdoc, and had taken to wandering aimlessly around the deck of the tiny boat, stealing glances at the small picture of Noodle that he had kept hidden in his wallet for three years now. He would frown at how tattered the picture was becoming, and wonder if soon he would be able to take new pictures of her.

These thoughts would slip into memories of times he had spent with his Lil' Love, and he would find that he could almost feel her presence near to him. The sensation was so real that, on more than one occasion, he would turn, smiling, to remind her of their antics, but would find himself staring over the empty sea. This would drive him deeper into himself where the purple-haired sprite was ever present.

On one interminable day, 2-D was bursting with thoughts that swarmed in his head like angry bees and wandered below decks to escape the blazing sun that beat down on his head. He had intended to climb into bed and sleep the day away as was quickly becoming his custom when the the sound of machinery caught his attention. Not the sickeningly endless sound of the boat droning on. This sound was much higher and very familiar. After turning to make sure that Murdoc was not coming below decks, he quietly tiptoed to the bassist's room where he pushed the door open. He was unsurprised to see that Murdoc had brought the Android Noodle. What surprised him was that he had not seen or heard from the machine once on their journey.

It was sitting cross legged on the floor with tubes and wires sticking out of its skin and joining together at a smaller, portable station similar to the much larger charging station at Plastic Beach. He stared at the Android. Though hidden by its long purple bangs, 2-D knew that its eyes were open and watching him.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat, "'ello. Wha'cha doin'?" He winced, stupid question. "I mean...," he sighed, "I would'a kept ya comp'ny if I'd known ya wos 'ere. I fink you get kinda bored sometimes, don' ya? I know I do."

2-D shifted uncomfortably under the Android's unblinking gaze and cleared his throat again. He was beginning to feel ridiculous talking to a machine who existed only to fulfill the whims of sadistic Satanist who only utilized the machine for servitude and protection and probably other things...

2-D shook his head to clear his thoughts of the Android lying lifelessly as Murdoc rode on top of it, writhing pathetically until he had sated his frustrations on the poor automaton, and he began to feel sorry for her..._her? _He snorted at the thought of thinking of this _thing_ as a living, breathing soul, and was shocked as the Android cocked her head to the side, exactly as his Li'l Love would have done if she were curious at something. _Exactly the way she had done when she stood before a floating island with a large red and white windmill spinning gently in the breeze. _

He knit his eyebrows together, "D'you understan' me?" he felt stupid again as the Android slowly nodded its head.

"Can you talk?" she shook her head.

"D'you wan' me to leave?" she shook her head.

He smiled his toothless and somehow toothy grin and sat on the floor cross legged in front of the machine. He hissed his breath out as he sat looking around the room at Murdoc's various belongings wondering what he could possibly say to her when a sudden thought crossed his mind.

"'Ave ya eva seen a picture of 'er?" Again, he felt stupid as she nodded her head.

"Promotional pictures, eh?" she nodded.

He smiled again and scrambled across the floor to sit next to the Android Noodle. "'ere, look at dis." He pulled the picture he had been looking at earlier. It was a photograph of him and Noodle they had taken in a photo booth at a mall in America. He was grinning his trademark smile with his tongue jutting through the hole where his two front teeth should be, and Noodle was kissing his cheek, as she often did, with her middle finger stuck rebelliously into the air. He smiled fondly at the picture and felt the sadness begin to slowly build in his chest when small fingers closed on the picture. He felt a twinge of fear in his heart and wondered if this was the best idea as she gazed at the image of her model. Slowly, he saw a smile edge across her face. Not the disturbing evil grin she often wore when doing something deliciously evil for her Satanist master, but a much gentler, wistful smile. Suddenly, she turned to him and excitedly pushed the picture back in his hand, pointing at it.

"Wha' ya wan', little one?" he questioned. She lifted 2-D's hand so that he could see the picture and pointed at Noodle. When he seemed to still not understand, she rolled her head and pushed the picture closer, pointing at the image of the girl again. He cocked his head and looked at her curiously when suddenly the realization of what she wanted washed over him.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, "you wan' me to tell ya 'bout 'er?" Android Noodle nodded her head vigorously. He smiled at this and began to tell her his memories of his Lil' Love, to tell her his fears about her, to tell her how he really felt about her, to tell of the aches in his heart to the only one who could, or would, listen.


	3. Murdoc's Side of the Story

It was a week later before the mainland was in sight, and 2-D was miserable as ever. Upon discovering him talking to the Android, Murdoc had promptly thrown him out of the room and forbidden him to speak to her. For a couple of days, 2-D had managed to sneak down to see her where she would be smiling and waiting for him to begin talking again. On the second day, however, Murdoc discovered them again.

_"Fookin Dullard!" 2-D's head popped up at the sound of Murdoc's growl. He was seated on the floor next to the Android, talking about Noodle when Murdoc burst in the room. "I thought I tol' you to never talk to that," he snarled, pointing at her._

_"I'm sowwy, Muds," 2-D pled easing himself slightly between Murdoc and the Android, "but I got bored, and we wos talkin'."_

_Murdoc's lips pulled back in a sneer, "We?" he chuckled, "_We_ can't talk, idgit, only _you_ can, and you can barely even do that."_

_2-D lowered his head, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see the Android coolly observing the scene before her. He was wondering what could possibly be processing in that artificial brain of hers when Murdoc's shout sliced through his thoughts._

_"GET THE FOOK OUT BEFORE I FOOKIN CUT YER NUTS OFF!" 2-D immediately jumped and ran from the room, slamming the door behind him. _

_However, he did not immediately move from outside the door. He listened as Murdoc called the Android anything but a girl, and ordered her to get into bed. He escaped to his room then, but, even with a pillow over his ears, he could not drown out the sounds of Murdoc's groans and the images of her lying and waiting for it all to be over._

From that night on, 2-D was allowed below decks only to sleep. Murdoc even made him shit and piss over the railing of the boat. He hadn't showered in three days and was beginning to think he was suffering from heat stroke as Murdoc refused allow him under the awning that covered the wheel house. Then one day, almost four days after the Android incident, 2-D caught sight of the large landmass that was England in the distance. He instantly felt his mood lift at the thought of standing on dry land and finally finding out what Murdoc had done to the poor Android.

He was practically bouncing on his feet when they arrived at the dock. He jumped off immediately and danced on the wooden planks until Murdoc shouted at him to "git his fookin shit packed." A groan escaped his mouth, and he reluctantly re-boarded the ship.

"I see three years haven't changed a thing." 2-D turned and smiled to see Russel leaning against their Geep, waiting for them.

"Yes!" Murdoc shouted and ran past 2-D with his arms spread wide. If it had been anyone except Murdoc, 2-D would have thought that the older man was running to hug Russel, but at least he knew better than to believe that .

As he thought, Murdoc roughly pushed past Russel to plant a big kiss on his long lost Geep. "Finally, " he moaned against the vehicle's paint, "if ya were a woman, I would fook ya 'til neither of us coul' move."

Russel looked across the dock to 2-D and rolled his eyes. 2-D stifled a small chuckle, nodded at Russel, and turned to retrieve his belongings below deck.

"Firs' things firs', though," he thought to himself as he quietly walked down the short corridor to Murdoc's room. After peering in the door, he was relieved to see that Murdoc had not dismantled the Android, he had simply powered her down. Smiling to himself, he went to his room to retrieve his things.

The trip to Kong Studio had been a terrifying one as Murdoc had insisted on driving, and apparently the adage about riding bikes did not apply to driving cars. On several occasions, Murdoc would cackle evilly as he crossed into the oncoming lanes of traffic just to watch the terrified faces of opposing motorists as they frantically veered to avoid the massive Geep. Russel reminded him several times that the Geep had an open top, and they would be unlikely to survive a rollover: Murdoc ignored this. When they finally came to a screeching halt in front of the studio, 2-D jumped quickly out of the vehicle and kissed the zombie-infested ground.

It took another couple of hours for the men to get them selves relatively comfortable, especially 2-D as he had half a week's worth of grime covering his body. When he finally emerged from his old room and rode the elevator to the kitchen of the studio, Russel already had a more than meager meal of baked chicken, beef and mincemeat pies, mashed potatoes, steamed corn, glazed carrots, apple, cherry, and chocolate pies lain out on the rather large dining table. Murdoc sat at the table gnawing hungrily on a chicken leg.

2-D immediately grabbed a plate and began piling food onto it, not caring what was mixing together. Before he could sit, he shoveled great heaps of food in his mouth, relishing in food that was not the army rations and rancid morsels that Murdoc had stuffed Plastic Beach with.

"Hungry?" Russel asked with an amused and satisfied grin on his face as he watched the rather thin singer engorge himself on his food.

"Yef, Mmm hamfent eafen wife dish in yearh," 2-D managed to choke out past the food.

Russel didn't try to understand what 2-D had said, he just grabbed a plate and piled it high with food. They ate in silence awhile (more than once, Russel had to slap 2-D on the back after he began to choke on the massive amounts of food he was trying to eat) and all three men pushed back from the table each near their own food-induced comas.

It was Russel who finally broke the silence, "So," he said, turning his head to the green-skinned man sitting across from him, "who is this Dielens you tol' me about?"

2-D was always amazed at how quickly Russel could slice immediately to the heart of any situation. Bullshit was not one of his talents. Even when he was trying to woo a woman into bed, he was more likely to ask her if she wanted to get a room and fuck than to make small talk and flirt. Now was not the time to marvel at Russel's interpersonal skills, however. While Murdoc would avoid 2-D's questioning, he knew that Murdoc was more than a little afraid of the formerly possessed drummer.

"Awww, Lards," he whined, "I jes got finished eatin'. Can' this wait?" At a pointed glare from the man, Murdoc gave in.

"Alright, alright," Murdoc stood and walked across the room to stare out over the black zombie land that stretched beneath Kong. 2-D and Russel could both tell that he was gathering his thoughts. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he cleared his throat, "Dielens...is a demon."

At this rather shocking news, both 2-D and Russel jumped from the table, "What?" they shouted in unison.

"What the fuck do you mean that Dielens is a demon?"

"Jes what I said, Lards," Murdoc was incredulous that such a statement would draw disbelief from the other men, "Dielens is a demon."

2-D spoke, "Then how'd he get...?"

"Ya wanna let me tell my story, or d'ya wanna go ta bed, Dullard?" Murdoc snapped and cursed under his breath.

Defeated, 2-D sat back down and watched Murdoc.

He turned and stared back out the window. "Ya know how the Gorillaz got so famous, righ'?" he asked this question without looking at the pair behind him. "Well, contrary to popular belief, I din't make a 'deal with the Devil' per se, y'know wha' I mean? It was a demon—Dielens—who gave me the ability to raise a band like tha'. Among the many benefits of making a deal with said devil—the being a sex god an all, there came many drawbacks, ya know? Suffice it to say that one of my deadlines is fast coming up..."

"Wait, wait, man," said the large black man now leaning against the wall that separated the kitchen from the dining area, "what does this have to do with Noodle-girl?"

"I'm getting' to that if you two gits would just shut the fook up for five minutes," he said, throwing a silencing glare at 2-D who had opened his mouth to mention that it had, in fact, been five minutes.

"Now where was I?" he feigned thought. "Oh yea, I guess I should start with that damn El Maňana, then." At this, he took a deep breath, "All that I told the media about what happened with that fookin island? It was true. Well, mos' of it was anyways. The island crashing was a setup to catch tha' Little Jimmy bastard, an' Noodle did parachute off it in time to escape, but...," at this, he ran his fingers through his black hair, "I never seen anythin' like it. The ground opened up, an' these hands just reached up and grabbed her. Snatched her down, screaming her bloody head off. An the hole...it wasn' a hole. It looked more like..."

"A mouth?" 2-D finished, staring down at his hands which were resting on his lap.

Murdoc was too stunned to react in his usual way. He nodded his head, "Yea, Dullard. How'd you know?"

2-D didn't respond, but in his head, he was rapidly repeating, "'Hitwosjus'adream, hitwosjus'adream."

"Well, you two know the next part, right? Jus' like I told the press, I went to find her," Murdoc continued when it became evident that the other man was not talking, "but I lied when I said I couldn find her," he flicked his eyes toward Russel and licked his lips. "She wos there and alive, but when I tried to take her back, she refused to leave. She tol' me that she had overheard Dielens' talkin' 'bout how my time was almos' up...I asked her ta stay—Now, now, lemme finish, Lards," he said, moving around the to the other side of the table as Russel lurched forward, fists balled and obviously ready to go after him.

"You got one minute, ya dig?" Russel growled.

Murdoc quickly moved on, "I did ask her to stay to see if she could find some sort of loophole to get me outta the contract, and she agreed. She said hell wasn' that bad for someone who was alive, and it seemed that no one knew she was alive anyways. I got her a disguise so Dielens wouldn' recognize her and left."

"YOU LEFT HER IN HELL FOR THREE YEARS!" Russel roared, "What the fuck were you thinking, man? Your minute is up," he lunged at Murdoc, but, being much smaller than the overweight drummer, he easily kept the table in between them. 2-D found himself jostled violently as the two men rounded the table.

"Afta a few months, I tol' her to come back, but she wouldn'," Murdoc pled, "I did, Russ. She said she needed to fin' a way ta get me out, bless her."

Russel and 2-D both snorted at the idea of the Satanist blessing anyone.

"So 'ow did tha' man get ahol' o' Noodle-girl? I fought she wos in disguise." 2-D questioned.

Murdoc threw his hands up, "Well, obviously, Faceache, he discovered her."

2-D finally stood and clapped his hands together, "So we go an' get 'er, don' we?"

"Haven' ya been listenin to a fookin word I've said?" Murdoc shouted. "Dielens is a fookin _demon_. There ain't no way we can take him on. Not if we wanna live."

"Said I'd go to 'ell to fin' 'er," 2-D shrugged, "and I guess I will alone if you two won' come."

"Was the...mouth at the crash site?" asked Russel. Murdoc nodded. "Well dat settles it, then, we just go get her ass back! Been missin' my Noodle-girl anyway!"

After the three men stayed up for most of the night planning their journey back to the wasteland where the windmill had crashed, they separated to get some much-needed rest. 2-D, however, found that he was much too wound up to sleep and decided to tire himself out by wandering the halls, reacquainting himself to the place he had called home for so many years.

After exploring the building for what seemed like hours, 2-D found himself back at the first floor corridor where Russel's and Noodle's rooms were located, standing outside of her room. He had saved this area of the studio for last, knowing that he wanted to see her room, even if she wasn't there; but, now that he was staring at her door, he began to second guess himself. Maybe he didn't really want to go in there. Would the memories he had shared with her be too much for him? Could he take it? He stood in indecision for several minutes before sighing and turning to leave. Suddenly, he heard a noise issuing from the other side of the door. Someone, or something was in there. He was afraid at first. Since Noodle had disappeared, a large crack had formed in her wall, exposing her room to the elements...and the zombies that lurked outside the studio. He slowly moved forward and placed his ear against the door, listening. Another shuffle from the inside of the room, and suddenly, the door swung open. Noodle was standing before him, smiling brightly.


	4. New Names and Old Planes

2-D sat on the floor, staring out the large crack in Noodle's bedroom wall and watching the rain as it fell with a gentle hiss through the hole and on the ground below. She was moving around the room on the other side of the partition, examining it carefully. She seemed particularly interested in the large head bolted in the floor and all the various equipment scattered about the room. He turned his head to look at her as she explored and shuddered. She looked so much like his Li'l Love it was almost scary: the uneven, unkempt purple hair, the deep green eyes, and the lithe smile were all Noodle's, but she was not Noodle. She was the Android.

He was still musing on these thoughts when suddenly another thought forced all others away. "'ey," he said suddenly, "did Muds eva' give ya a name?"

She cocked her head from her position across the room, obviously confused.

"Ya know, wha' does 'ee call ya?"

She shook her head, and he realized that Murdoc had never even bestowed a name on the Android. Her room back at Plastic Beach had "Noodle's Closet" painted on the door, but that was not _her_ name.

"Seems ta me dat you deserve one, don'cha fink?" he smiled at her.

She processed this thought for a second before grinning at him and nodding her head.

"Le' me fink," he said, rubbing his chin, "yer obviously Japanese, so should be a Japanese name." He chuckled to himself, "Ya know, las' time I 'elped to name a girl, all we could come up wit' wos 'Noodle.'"

She cocked her head to the side.

"No, Li'l One, dat's 'er name. Ya need one of yer own, dig?" he said, rising and striding across the room to grab her shoulders and lean down to look at her in the eyes.

She shrugged and nodded at him.

"Hmm...maybe a cartoon or video game character?" he said looking at her. "Noods always liked dose fings. Hmmm...Kagome? Yuna? MOMO? Nah...not special enough. Lessee, what else is dere?"

Suddenly, he felt a tug on his shirt and turned to look at her. A strange look was on her face as she pulled him over to her charging station. 2-D understood why she had set it up here. With Noodle's memories, this place would feel most comfortable to her. She looked at him and motioned for him to stay in place before reaching behind it to open what appeared to be an access panel. She reached inside and pulled out a small lock box. Gently, she placed the box on the ground and stroked it as though it were a pet before pulling at a chain hanging from her neck. Hanging off the chain was a small key.

2-D sat back on the floor and watched curiously as she took the key, unlocked the box, and lifted the lid. He peeked in the box and saw a lighter, a pair of dice, and a folded piece of cloth before she pushed him back with a firm look on her face. He raised his hands to show that he wouldn't make that transgression again. Satisfied, she reached in and produced a small, but thick book which she held to her chest for a second, looking at 2-D.

"Wotcha got there, Li'l one?" he queried.

She looked at him pointedly. Immediately, he understood.

He crossed his heart, "I promise I won' tell."

She looked at him for a few more seconds before slowly stretching her hands out. 2-D smiled and took the book from her. He gasped: She had handed him a dog-eared and tattered baby naming book.

He knit his eyebrows and his heart gave a lurch as he thought about what this meant. She wanted a name. Tears began to fill his eyes for the slighted puppet before him.

He cleared the lump that had formed in his throat with a cough and asked, "Ya wan' me to fin' ya a name, Lil' One?" She shook her head and took the book from his hand. She held it close to her chest for another second before opening it to one of the turned-down pages and handing it to him.

He didn't have to search for the name she wanted as she had circled and highlighted it.

"Miyuki," he said, tilting his head to look at her, "why tha' Li'l One?"

She pointed to the definition of the name: snow. He smiled at her, "Ya like snow?" She nodded her head, and 2-D wondered if she had ever seen the stuff.

"I'll have ta take ya skiing sometime, won' I?" She looked down at her hands—2-D thought he could detect a sadness on her face as she did so—before looking up at him and smiling lopsidedly.

"Miyuki, huh?" he said, trying to change the mood. "I like it." He suddenly yawned, exhausted. It was time for bed. He stood and stretched, ruffling her hair and eliciting a real smile from her, "Well, tomorrow, then. Goodnight, Miyuki"

He exited the room, smiling back at her one more time, and closed the door behind him. Miyuki stared sadly after him for a few minutes before repacking her box and placing it away. She then walked to her charging station and hooked herself up. She sat cross-legged on the floor and stared sadly after the man before powering herself down.

* * *

2-D looked around the small, strange room—the study of a large house in Surrey—examining closely all of the various trinkets and knickknacks scattered on shelves, tables, display cases, and across the floor. There were gemstones, paintings, vases, sculptures, statues, and books everywhere.

"'Oo eva' dis is, 'ee's gotta lotta quid," he thought to himself. It was almost two days after they had arrived in England. Murdoc had insisted that they come here. All 2-D knew was that this man might be able to aid them on their journey.

Russel was staring blankly into the warm fire, impatient to get on the road. Miyuki was sitting cross-legged on the floor, coolly watching a kitten who was rubbing itself against her leg. Murdoc was sitting in a chair with his legs crossed looking quite at home with a large cigar in one hand and a glass of some rare old brandy (with a name that 2-D couldn't pronounce on his smartest day) in the other.

"This is the life, I tell ya'. Ol Campy sure knows how to swing," he stretched luxuriously.

"Yes," came an ancient gruff voice from behind him, causing the three men to swivel their heads toward the sound, "I've spent many years and millions of my own pounds collecting all that you see before you."

Before them was a tall, spindly, black creature with long arms and a hunching posture. His telescopic eyes were an angry red and his tongue was black and forked. 2-D recognized him immediately as a Strangefolk. The leader of the Strangefolk to be exact: Eustace Camp.

"Many of my peoples' lives were lost in attaining these treasures," he said with an almost imperceptible shrug, "and I'd rather not have them pawed by the filthy fingers of some two-bit ragamuffin band with delusions of grandeur."

Murdoc feigned a hurt expression, "Good to see you too, Campy," Murdoc rose from his seat, but not before pointedly downing the rest of the brandy and refilling his glass. "As congenial as always, I see." Murdoc extended his hand.

Camp grimaced and repulsed him.

"What do you want, Niccals?" he growled.

Murdoc smirked, "Ah, not one for small talk, are we? Very well, we need a plane."

The ancient Strangefolk spluttered, "Get the hell out!"

"Now, now, Campy, you owe me, you know," the bassist took another irreverent swig of the drink, "saved yer ass a few years ago, didn' I?"

"I would have made it out without you and you know it," Camp hissed.

"No, I don't remember tha'," Murdoc sneered. "Wha' I do remember is your on yer _ knees beggin' fer me to save yer miserable life. I also remember you tellin me that you'd give me anythin' I wanted when I did. Even gave me a hug and a kiss if I remember right," his sneer deepened, "Well, I'm makin' ya a Strangefolk of yer word. Coul' bring ya a li'l redemption. Might even reduce yer time with the Minotaur. _We need a plane_," Murdoc reiterated, pleased at the look on Camp's face when he mentioned the Minotaur.

"Wha' eva tha' is," 2-D mumbled.

"You made a deal wit' a dif'frent devil when ya got inta it wit' me, " Murdoc's voice was dangerous. Behind him, Russel cracked his knuckles.

Camp eyed the two for a few seconds, wondering if their threats were true. Finally, the old creature raised a brow, and asked, "What kind of plane?"

Murdoc grinned, exposing his pointed teeth, "Tha's my boy," Camp winced, "We need one big enough to carry the Geep," he said, jerking his head toward the window.

Camp strode over and looked out at the large dune buggy below them. He nodded his head, "Shouldn't be a problem. When do you need it by?"

Murdoc was terse, "Now."

Camp spun quickly, "NOW?"

"Tha's wha' I said. Now." The Strangefolk elder hung his head, defeated.

"Fine. It will be ready in a few hours."

* * *

Camp had made good on his promise. The plane was an old decommissioned cargo airplane. It was plenty big enough to carry several Geeps, 2-D wagered.

He was staring now out one of the small windows of the plane, watching as the rolling hills of green grass and lush forests began to fade into the brown wasteland that surrounded the city that lay at the base of the Feel Good, Inc. tower. In the distance, he could see the smokestack belching great billows of smog into the atmosphere around the city. He shuddered. He hated that place.

He was brooding darkly over his memories when suddenly a squawky voice startled him out of his musings.

"We should be arriving in about five minutes," said the Strangefolk copilot who had just emerged from the cockpit.

"Very good, steward," Murdoc goaded the creature from his perch inside the Geep (Miyuki was sitting in the back seat), eliciting a glare from its fiery eyes. "When will we be touching down?"

"Touching down?" the copilot sneered. "The deal was to bring you here, that was all. The rest is up to you." At this, he reached above his head and pulled a lever. A large, loud buzzing noise issued throughout the bay, and Murdoc sat bolt upright, alarmed.

"Wha' the foo-"

He never got to finish as suddenly the large doors under the Geep opened and the fehicle fell from sight, taking Murdoc and Miyuki with it.

"ooooooooooooooooo!"

2-D and Russel yelled and dove to peer down into the newly formed hole in the floor. They could only see the landscape that zoomed by below them.

"Are you fucking crazy? He ain't got no parachute!" Russel bellowed and rounded on the creature who was now holding two parachutes in his claws.

"Then you better get a move on," it sneered."

After quickly donning the chutes, 2-D and Russel leapt from the plane, scanning the sky below them, searching frantically for the Geep and its occupants. Russel waved to get 2-D's attention and pointed. He was relieved to see several parachutes a few thousand feet below them, floating benignly toward the ground.

The two men nodded to each other and pulled their cords, the large piece of fabric snapping them from a breakneck hurtle to a lazy drift. Below them, they watched the Geep bounce on the ground and Murdoc roll out of it, shaking his fist at the now barely visible plane disappearing into the horizon. They could hear him shouting a stream of obscenities as they used their pull cords to land safely near him.

"Have a nice trip, Muds?" Russel joked as he removed his parachute, leaving it where it lay. Murdoc turned to vent his spleen on the large drummer and 2-D ran to the Geep to check on Miyuki who was still in her place in the back of the Geep, watching the scene unfold as if she were watching a program on the television. 2-D smiled fondly at her and turned to scan the horizon, looking to see how far from the crash site they had landed.

"'ow close are we?" he asked no one in particular.

Russel strode away from Murdoc, cutting him off mid-sentence and reached into the Geep's glove box, grabbing a GPS device they kept there. He furrowed his brow as he tapped a few buttons on the screen, "'Bout fifteen miles that-a-way," he pointed roughly east of their position.

"Well, get the fook inta the Geep and let's get tha fook outta here." Murdoc growled, still furious.

It didn't take them long to near their target, and before they knew it, they could see the broken red and white tower rising in the distance. Fear and excitement warred violently in 2-D's chest as they neared the site, but he was shocked as Murdoc stopped the Geep about five hundred yards away, backing it behind a large rock to keep it hidden from sight. The singer whimpered as he looked curiously at the older man.

"Calm down, Dullard. I just need to prepare ya for what ya might see. This bein' a hellmouth an' all, there coul' be any manner of demon jes waitin' fer us. Now I think _it_," he jerked his head toward Miyuki who grinned evilly and lifted a rather large gun from the floorboard of the Geep, "might be able to keep us safe, but we may need to hightail it if it gets too hot, got it?" He looked at 2-D, but he was already bouncing from foot to foot standing in the Geep, so Murdoc rolled his eyes and turned to the Android, grabbing her face, "You take point, Russ'll take up the rear. If _anything_ tries to set it off, you go down'n a fookin blaze o'glory, got it?" Her evil grin deepened and she nodded her head.

"Alright, let's go"

At his command, the quartet leapt from the Geep with Miyuki taking the lead. They neared the site and formed a tight group straining their eyes as they watched for any movement. Suddenly, Russel cried out and let loose with a hail of bullets directed somewhere behind him. 2-D pointed his own gun, but saw nothing. He looked questioningly at the larger man who smiled sheepishly at the other three.

"Bird," he said with a shrug.

"Ain't no more," Murdoc laughed quietly and nodded at Miyuki who was leaning on her gun, looking at them as though she were asking, "You done?"

The group resumed their cautious exploration as they neared the site and were surprised to see the valley devoid of any life form except themselves (thanks to Russel).

2-D looked at Murdoc who shrugged and nodded him forward. He placed his hand on Miyuki's shoulder and walked cautiously ahead of her. Looking back to make sure the rest were behind them, he peeked around the windmill structure and gasped.

Murdoc and Russel exchanged glances and edged up behind the singer. They were stunned to see the hellmouth was gone and only an empty crater was left behind. Their only entrance to Hell had closed.


	5. Don't Get Lost in Heaven

Wow, I never knew I had this many words in me. I'm gonna try to turn these out as soon as I get them written.

I am so honored at the response this story's been getting, but even if you don't review, I appreciate the many visitors and hits, as well.

This one goes out to all my peeps: lolilee, HideSeekKeep, The Hazel-Eyed Angel, and Lady STRiPES

* * *

When they had discovered that the entrance to Hell had closed long ago, the three man had had three very different reactions. 2-D spat a curse through his clenched teeth and disappeared into the windmill. Russel simply fell to his knees and watched the great crater as though he were expecting it to reopen and Noodle would just come strolling out. Murdoc, however, shrugged, leaned against a rock, and began smoking, staring into the sky as though this was a leisurely Sunday afternoon of could watching. They had been preparing, planning their entire journey what they would do when they found the entrance to the Void and tracked Dielens down; not what they would do if they arrived and the portal had closed. Now that the only plan they had devised had been foiled, they were lost.

2-D scanned the windmill. The small window from which he had so often seen Noodle's beautiful face staring out over the landscape as her island soared in the sky had been pulverized in the crash. The door was also gone (save for a small hole he knew he could fit through if he tried), crushed under the greater weight of the windmill. The crumbling staircase jutted out from the ground at a ninety degree angle, and he could still see the bullet holes decorating the walls. Seeing nothing that would help him here, he clambered back out of the windmill through the remains of the door and stared over what was left of the island proper. The long green grass and beautiful flowers that covered the island had long since been scorched and carried away in the ubiquitous breeze. The anchor structure and the small peninsula of land that jutted out from the front of the island had been swallowed by the barren earth.

However, while his eyes scanned the unfamiliar landscape around him, his mind had drifted to a time three years ago when when he and Noodle had shared their first and only kiss.

_Relations with and between Murdoc and Russel had become increasingly tense during the filming of Feel Good, Inc., and 2-D found solace by spiraling into an ever-deeper drug-and-alcohol induced stupor while Noodle escaped the sadness and anger by spending her free time soaring around the tower on her little island. One day after a particularly long session, 2-D had opened one of the large windows and stood leaning on the sill, shirtless due to the heat with a cigarette between his pursed lips. Murdoc was bitching loudly somewhere behind him. _

_Movement out of the corner of his eye attracted his attention and caused him to turn to his right where he saw Noodle's windmill island floating dangerously close to the tower. 2-D only had a second to be afraid when he saw her giggling and standing as close to the edge of the island as she could without falling off. Her hand was extended out, and he first thought that she was wanting to jump to the tower. Smiling, he extended his own hand and marveled at how her laugh could wash away all thoughts of his troubles, but he was surprised that as soon as their hands met, he found himself being pulled onto the island with a loud yelp. Murdoc's shouts of rage at 2-D's great escape followed him out the window, but the island had already moved past the tower before Murdoc could give chase._

_"I'm, fookin gonna kick yer ass, Faceache. Jes wait!" they fell into the grass in a fit of laughter as they saw Murdoc's shouting head poking out of the tower. _

_"He looks like an infected pimple," Noodle managed to choke out, sending them both into another session of laughter_

_After they calmed down, Noodle hopped up and stood over him._

_She smiled, "Well, 2-D san, what do you think?" It was his first time on the island when it was in flight._

_"Hit's nice," he said, returning her smile before standing to join her._

_She feigned a pout, "Nice? It's wonderful!" and she began spinning and dancing around him. "None of that shit," she tilted her head toward the tower and stuck out her tongue at the smoke and blaring music issuing from it. _

_"It does feel betta out 'ere. Fookin 'ot in dere. An' dose women," he said, wrinkling his nose, "dey stink. Murdoc has strange taste in chicks."_

_Noodle giggled at this and resumed her dancing around the island. 2-D watched for a while, mesmerized by her long and lithe body spinning and dipping to music only she could hear. Suddenly, though, he felt deliciously sleepy and fell backward into the grass, not caring if he hurt himself. He was delighted, however, to find the grass was soft and springy. He sighed and rested his hands behind his head, closing his eyes and glad for a respite from the sex, drugs, and rock n' roll of Feel Good, Inc. He was startled, though, when he felt light pressure on his arm and opened his eyes to see that Noodle had lain next to him with her head in the crook of his elbow, staring at the clouds that towered over their heads in the cerulean sky. He joined her and they were both long lost in their thoughts when the sun appeared from behind a cloud they had both been staring at, blinding them. In unison, they cried out, and, laughing, 2-D instinctively wrapped his arm tighter around her head, inadvertently drawing her to his chest. She giggled again into his flesh and lifted her head to look at him._

_"Ow!"_

_"I know! Dat 'urt," he said, as he began to absently stroke her arm. She smiled and rested her chin on her hands which were crossed on his chest and watched him. He stared back at her green eyes and suddenly became aware of how close her face was from his—just a few inches He smiled. She had truly become a beautiful young woman. He knitted his eyebrows together and brought his hand around to stroke her cheek gently. His other hand reached to brush back her bangs so he could look into her vibrant green eyes. He didn't get a very long look as she closed them and hummed at his touch. Her heart quickened against his skin as he hooked his fingers behind her neck and drew her face closer to his, and he felt his owm heartbeat quicken to match hers._

_First, he simply brushed his lips against hers, feeling how soft her skin was. His head began to swim at just this simple contact._

_"I coul' become addicted to dis," he thought and smiled against her cheek. She turned her face toward toward his and he pressed his mouth against hers, gently flicking his tongue, reverently pleading for entrance past her lips, which she granted. His eyes rolled back into his head as their tongues met, his deftly exploring hers and hers clumsily feeling its way around his. He knew then that he was her first kiss, but he had no shame. Even though he was several years older than her, he had secretly worshiped the young woman above him, and knew that if any man could ever love her the way she deserved, it would be him. _

_After what seemed like an eternity and one second at the same time, he cupped her cheek and pulled her face back so that he could look her in her eyes again. She was flushed and panting, but smiling. He returned her smile and kissed her lightly one more time before pulling them both to a sitting position, bringing her into his lap, holding her and rocking her while he hummed sweet songs into her ear. Another eternity passed before she reached up, ran her fingers through his hair, and stood, holding her hand out for his. He accepted it and allowed her to pull him up, and they were staring at each other smiling goofily when they heard Murdoc's angry shouts floating toward them through the sky. They knew their time in heaven had come to an end as the windmill island drew closer to the tower._

2-D shook his head clear of the memory. It was only two days later that the island had crashed and his Li'l Love had been taken from him. He sighed and flicked away the cigarette he didn't realize he had been holding and turned to crawl back through the windmill. He stopped, however, when his eyes landed on Miyuki who had obviously just emerged from the hole leading into the windmill. Against the sadness that had settled over him at his memory of this place, he smiled weakly at her.

She cocked her head in her Noodle-like way and walked toward him. She stood next to him and looked at him questioningly.

"Sowry, Li'l One," he said with a shrug, "I wos just finkin' bout de las' time I wos 'ere. It wos wit' 'er, y'know."

She nodded her head, and 2-D was surprised for a second before he realized that this memory could have just as easily been a part of those Murdoc had downloaded into Miyuki's processor as any.

His face darkened, "So you know," he murmured.

She nodded and took his hand in his, patting it gently. Her face wore the expression of sorrow and, once again, he was shocked at her. As much as he had grown to like her as a friend, it had never really occurred to him that she could feel such an emotion.

He ruffled her hair and chuckled sadly, "Yer full o' supprises, ain't cha? Come on, les' go," he said turning back to the windmill.

"I'm worried 'bout D, man," Russel said pointedly looking over his shoulder at 2-D who was still standing and staring at Noodle's shattered lighthouse with the Android watching him as the Russel and Murdoc began to make the preparations for the twenty mile trek to Feel Good, Inc., "He seem a bit...off to you lately?"

Murdoc snorted, "Tha' Dullard? He's always been 'a bit...off.'"

"I know that," Russel rolled his eyes, "but he seems to be slippin' a bit lately. All he does is talk to that..._thing_, and I'm wondering if he's starting to think it's really Noodle-girl. I think he even named it." he said, shuddering.

"DULLARD!" Murdoc suddenly shouted, causing the larger man next to him to jump. "Git yer ass in gear an' get in the fookin Geep."

Russel watched as 2-D wordlessly obeyed and strode over to climb into the dune buggy. The _Thing _followed suit and strapped its docking station back onto its back. Murdoc tossed the gun bag at 2-D. It hit him in the head.

"Fookin' get ova yerself, Dullard," he climbed into the driver's seat. 2-D stooped to pick up the bag, but was surprised when Miyuki hoisted it across her body, smiling at him. He returned her smile and held out his hand for her to take, which she did gladly. Russel climbed into the passenger seat, and they headed toward Feel Good Inc.

It was late into the evening before they finally arrived at the tower. The rest got out, but 2-D lingered, staring back over the distance they just covered while Murdoc shouted back at him.

He and Russel had already had already arrived at the tower and neither could enter as one of the bags that 2-D was carrying housed the key card.

"Hurry the fook up, ya idgit!" Murdoc spat as he began to climb out of the Geep, " I swear, we'dve been here ages ago if it hadn'ta been fer yer slow ass." 2-D finally arrived, and Murdoc snatched the sack from him, fishing out the card that would allow them access to the tower.

"Git the fook in, all'o yas," he said, pushing 2-D into the elevator first, "you act as if we got all guddamn night."

Murdoc then launched into a seemingly endless stream of insults aimed at the blue-haired singer who stared at the buttons on the elevator panel, trying to ignore the older man. He couldn't, however, ignore the deep abiding sadness that had been building in his gut since they had arrived at the crash site. It had been threatening to consume him on the entire trek to the tower, but he obediently bowed his head and waited while the Satanist heaped insults on the singer's head when Murdoc made the only mistake he could.

"...and draggin' us all the way out ta Bare Fookin Egypt, and fer what? An empty hole and a lot o'wasted time. I toldja that fookin li'l bitch was dead."

Russel turned to look at the side of the older man's face, aghast, but he had no time to react before 2-D roared and slammed Murdoc into the side of the elevator, his hands at the older man's throat.

"DON' YA EVA' CALL HER DAT AGAIN!"

Murdoc was stunned and at first simply stared at the singer. Then his face darkened and he growled low at 2-D, "I think ya best get yer fookin hands offa me, or I swear I'll snap yer..."

Russel had no idea where 2-D got the knife, but it was now pressed against Murdoc's throat, drawing a thin bead of blood. The bassist's eyes widened and, for the first time in his many years of knowing Murdoc, Russel saw true fear in them.

"Ok, man," Russel placated, "we see who's got the big balls, but you're scaring us," he said as he gingerly patted 2-D on the shoulder. He shrugged him off and pressed the knife harder into Murdoc's neck.

Upon seeing that he was getting no response from 2-D, Russel turned to the Android, "_You_," he growled, "Your master is being threatened, aren't you gonna stop this?" At this the automaton turned its head toward him and grinned acidly. He felt a chill in his bones and a twist in his stomach at the look on its face. "She's gonna let D kill Muds," he thought, but was surprised when she stood next to 2-D and touched his elbow. It was then that Russel saw that the man was visibly shaking and that tears falling from his eyes that were staring maliciously at Murdoc.

He tried again, "D...He's a dick. You know that. I know that. HE knows that. He didn' mean it, man. Right Muds?"

Murdoc's eyes flicked from 2-D to Russel and back again. Russel knew he wanted him to take 2-D down, but he knew that would be dangerous. He opened his mouth to plead one more time for this to stop when 2-D suddenly dropped the knife, panting hard.

"I'm sowry, Muds," he put his hands over his face. "I jus' couldn' let ya talk bout Noodle-girl like tha'."

"Fookin right, yer sorry," Murdoc snarled, "yer lucky that I didn' knock that knife out of yer han' and slit yer guddam throat! Next time, Dullard, I won' be so forgiving."

At that moment, the door opened. Murdoc pushed 2-D out of the way as he stormed out of the elevator. Before disappearing down the hallway to his room, he rounded on the Android, "YOU! Get yer shit set up and yer ass charged." It bowed respectfully and turned to smile at the two men exiting the lift before carrying its belongings to a corner of the main room.

Russel watched 2-D. He was staring at the floor, still shaking a little. His fists were balled, and he was still catching his breath. Russel had never seen him react in such a manner, and it scared him more than a little to see this side of the usually put-upon man. He needed to know what was going through 2-D's head

"D..." he started, but he got no response as the other man shook his head and escaped down the long hallway to his bedroom leaving Russel relatively alone in the large room wondering when the hell things had gotten this bad.

* * *

See, lolilee, I can end a chapter without a cliffhanger :P

DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU GET, LOLI? DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU MESS WITH THE WARRIOR?


	6. Out of the Fire

She was running again. Screaming. Claws, sharp as razors, once again ripped at her flesh, tore at her. Fire, seemingly from everywhere, licked at her skin. She blistered, she shrieked, she reached...for him as she had so many times before. His name was on her lips, she called for him. He called her name, begging, pleading for her to simply turn around and see him reaching for her.

"I'm 'ere, Lil' Love!" he called despairing as she fled. "Please," he whispered into the darkness that enveloped him in her absence, "...NO!" He couldn't lose her. Not again. He ran with all of his might, still trying to catch up with her, but still, she remained just out of reach. Suddenly, he came upon that same twist in the maze. He knew she would be there, lost. That mouth would open and rip her away from him as he cried out for her. This time, he wouldn't wait. This time, he would run straight to her and pull her into his arms. Together, they would flee from the terror of this place. She would be free again.

When he rounded the corner, however, she was nowhere to be seen. The room was empty.

"Noodle," he cried, but no answer was made. "NOODLE!" he screamed and winced as the sound reverberated sharply off of the walls around him. Suddenly, the sound of laughter began to fill the room. At first it was as loud as a child's giggle, but it multiplied quickly, filling his head. He felt as though he would burst from the sound. His hands went instinctively to his ears, trying in vain to drown out the sound of the laughter. He was shocked when he felt a warm wetness on his ears. Shaking, he pulled his hands away and shouted at the blood that was covering them. He touched his face, his eyes, his nose, they were both bleeding as well. He tried to swipe away the blood, but it kept coming. He shouted into the darkness, but his screams mixed with the laughter that was melting quickly into wails of sorrow. The hands were on him now. The mouth, beneath him, pulling him down into the unknown, into the darkness where he would never see her again.

All of a sudden, however, he looked up to see a tiny pinpoint of light. His eyes transfixed on it as it grew larger. A voice called to him, saying words to wonderful to be real.

He slipped deeper into the sorrow, when the voice called again.

_"Come to me, you can't stay there. It's just a dream, come to me."_

He looked down into the darkness and began to struggle. His clothes and skin ripped as he pulled, but the voice was so beautiful that he knew he would die to hear it again.

_"Remember my little island?" _the voice asked,_ "remember that day we kissed? Oh, 2-D, I can't do this without you...please"_

With a shriek of pain, he ripped himself free of the grip that held him in place. A terrifying wail ripped through it's lips, and it disappeared. He stood, panting and staring at where the mouth had been. Then, looking into the light, he felt himself being pulled toward it, away from the darkness.

He was awake now, but he kept his eyes closed. He was terrified that he would find himself still trapped in the darkness even though he knew he was in his room in the tower.

His mind reeled. That had been Noodle's voice calling him out of the darkness. Why wasn't she standing in the room where she had been in countless nightmares before? He opened his eyes and rubbed them. It was all too much for his brain to comprehend. He sat up, about to go to the bathroom when he froze. Something was wrong. He jumped up, frantically searching for what the cause of his apprehension might be. The sound of movement behind caused him to spin around.

"2-D," she smiled at him. His breath hitched in his throat.

"Noodle?" he was rooted to the ground. Was this another part of the dream? Was this really her, or was this a hallucination? Was she real?

She seemed to read his mind. Walking toward him, she reached for his hand. He pulled away. She was stunned for only a second before the smile returned to her face. She waited for him to process what he was seeing.

For the past three years, he had torn through endless lists of what he would say when he saw her again, but for now, he could only ask one question.

"Are you real?"

Her smile faded slightly, "Somewhere." she said carefully. "Somewhere, I am real, but not here," she looked him in his eyes, "you called me here."

"Me?" he was dumbfounded. "When'd I call you?"

"In your dream," she whispered, stepping closer to him, "you called me to you." She reached up and gently stroked his cheek. He was shocked at the sensation. He felt her touch, but it was not like a touch from a hand. It was as though her hand was passing through his skin, but still touching him. Somewhere deep inside him, she touched him. He could never have described it if he tried, but it was electric. His eyes rolled back into his head, and she laughed softly, a sound like the wind blowing through the trees.

He opened his eyes and looked at her. She was taller now, but still a good six inches shorter than 2-D. Her tiny tomboyish teenage body had given way to soft, womanly curves which were covered in the same clothes she had been wearing during El Manana (2-D didn't even try try to wonder how they still fit her). Her violet hair, which had been layered and choppy when he had last seen her in person, was now long enough to lightly brush the small of her back. Her childish face had rounded, and her lips had filled out beautifully. Her eyes were older and wizer now, but still a beautiful and vibrant shade of green. Though he didn't understand how she was here and somewhere else at the same time, he did understand that she was a picture of perfection.

"Noodle..." he began.

**This part of the story edited for content! Will fix later.**

"Wha'd ya do to me, Li'l Love?" he asked, tilting his head innocently.

She smiled, "You will know in time," she whispered, gently brushing her lips across his. He accepted this response. He trusted her implicitly, unconditionally, so he simply smiled at her and rolled off of her, pulling her into his arms.

"Noodle," he whispered, and she hummed into his neck in response, "nevah leave." She stiffened against him, and he rose to his elbow to look down on her and ask why she couldn't stay when a low rumble shook the tower. He jumped off the bed and ran to the window, scanning the horizon.

"Wha wos tha?" he turned to Noodle. Her face was pale and terrified. "Li'l Love?"

From behind him, he heard a great cracking sound. He turned and watched in horror as the plaster and wood of the wall were ripped away by the thousand hands issuing from the great mouth. Instinctively, he ran to place himself between the mouth and Noodle as the screams began to fill the room. He would not allow her to be taken again. Even if the hands ripped him to pieces and drug him to hell, he would fight for her.

"Run, Noodle!" he cried, turning to look at her, but was surprised to find that she was not in the bed anymore.

Suddenly, the sound of the screaming stopped, and silent was the world. 2-D froze afraid to move.

"He's come for me," her voice cut through the silence from behind him. He spun to tell her to flee, to run until Dielens couldn't find her, but he was halted by the sight before him.

She was looking down, her greasy, unkempt hair hung in sheets around her face. Her clothes were back on, but were tattered and shredded, and the one eye he could see was not the vibrant shade he so adored, but a sickly, milky green with pinpoint pupils. Her lips were cracked and blue. Deep gashes and bruises were scattered across her skin. In the center of her chest was a gaping hole just where he had seen the arm punch through in his countless dreams. She was covered in blood.

Wordlessly, she turned, and walked toward the great jaws. 2-D found himself frozen into place, immobile as she walked away from him to the darkness.

She stopped and turned toward him, tears swathing a clean path through the blood, "Find me," she pled, a great sob wracking her body.

"Where, Li'l Love? Where?" he cried, "The hellmouth is closed."

"Talk to her," was her response.

He was confused. _Her?_

"'Oo, Li'l Love? Tell me," he reached out to her.

"The only one who will listen."

At this, the hands reached for her, wrapping themselves around her body. 2-D bellowed as he broke free from whatever was holding him, ignoring the pain in his arm as he dislocated his shoulder in the struggle. He lurched forward, grabbing at her hand which she extended to him. Their fingertips brushed as the arms ripped her, screaming from this world again and sending 2-D crashing to the ground.

For a few seconds, he lay there, panting on the ground, trying to wrap his head around what had just happened. He raised his head to see the mouth was gone, and the wall was untouched. Then, with a gutteral roar, he flung himself against it and began to claw and punch, trying to break through to follow her.

Behind him, the door opened. Roused from their respective sleep by shouts coming from 2-D's room, a stunned Russel and Murdoc now stood,, watching their friend attacking the surface, leaving streaks of blood on the wall from torn nails and broken knuckles. Russel strode forward and grabbed at 2-D's hand, trying to stop him from hurting himself any more, but he was repulsed, howling and swinging at him with a bloodied fist. Russel stumbled back as Murdoc rushed toward the younger man, wrapping his arms around his waist, pulling him, screaming, back to the floor in the center of the room.

He held 2-D in an iron grip as he thrashed, hoarsely sobbing her name. Murdoc and Russel exchanged disquieted glances over his head. The bassist looked lost, unsure of what to do as the blue-haired singer began to mutter incoherently.

"Dullard..." he cleared his throat, "...Stuart, calm down."

Russel crouched before the pair on the floor, and took 2-D's face in one great hand.

"D, man, you gotta get yourself together..."

"She wos 'ere!" he shouted, renewing his efforts to break free from Murdoc's grasp, educing a grunt from the older man as he grasped the struggling musician tighter.

Murdoc looked helplessly at Russel when movement out of the corner of his eye drew his attention. The Android had appeared in the doorway and was observing the scene unfolding before her. Murdoc was about to order her to leave when she advanced toward them, holding in her hand a syringe, which she stuck in 2-D's arm, emptying it's contents into his bloodstream.

"Wha'd she do?" Russel demanded, pulling the robot away from his stricken friend.

2-D slowly began to relax in Murdoc's arms and his breathing began to even out.

"She sedated him," said the Satanist, shocked.


	7. The Descent

Okay, that's chapter 7. I am so excited, as now, we're getting into the real story.

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When he awoke, he knew it was several hours later, as the felt the warm rays of the afternoon sun on his unopened eyes. His head was throbbing, and his whole body hurt. He could feel something covering his hands, some kind of fabric that was also wrapped around his shoulder and torso. He was fully clothed. Something wet and rough was on his forehead. Somewhere off to his right, he could hear the rhythmic growl of an unplugged base guitar: Murdoc was in the room. He would have smiled if he didn't hurt so badly.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, wincing at the garish sunlight that assaulted him as he did. He tried to sit up, but the effort was too much for him, so he shifted slightly higher on his pillow, groaning. The cessation of sound from the base and sudden movement from Murdoc's direction, showed that his movements had not gone unnoticed.

"'Oy! He's up!" shouted the older man to someone that 2-D could see.

An almost violent and growing shaking of the floor indicated that Russel had heard his band mate and was hurrying toward the room.

Murdoc's ugly mug appeared into 2-D's view.

"Well, Sleeping Beauty," he snorted, "It's 'bout time ya decided to wake yer ass up." If 2-D didn't know any better, he would almost believe that there was a concerned look behind Murdoc's malicious mismatched eyes.

2-D licked his dry, cracked lips, "Yea, I wos getting tired of sleepin'," he joked. He tried to lift his hands to look at what was encasing him, but a sharp pain in his left shoulder, caused him to drop his hands, grunting.

"You dislocated your shoulder and broke a couple of ribs," came a deep voice from the door. 2-D rolled his eyes to look at the large form of Russel filling almost the entire frame, "you also broke your one of your hands and ripped several of your nails off. You also got a bad fever from the sedative," he motioned to the wet rag on 2-D's forehead. "The 'Droid patched you up. Pretty good job, I have to say." 2-D grunted as the floor shook under the weight of the drummer as he strode over to the bedside.

"Whot happen--" the singer began to question when suddenly his eyes fell on the wall across from him. Deep gouges sliced their way across the wall, exposing the stud underneath in some places, and drywall hung from the paper layer. Holes in several other places where something or someone had punched their way through littered the wall. 2-D was stunned to see what he could only believe was rust-colored blood streaking down the wall. He looked questioningly at his friends.

Murdoc chuckled softly, "We were kinda hopin' you could tell us."

"Me?" 2-D was dumbfounded, "Why me? What eva' did dat musta did it to me, too."

The other two men exchanged glances, frowning. Russel spoke, "You don't remember anything from last night?"

"Las' night?" 2-D closed his eyes and furrowed his brow, desperately trying to sift through his befuddled mind for what they were talking about, "I don' rememba anyfin— NOODLE!" His eyes flew open as memories from the previous night forced themselves into the forefront of his mind. His dream, Noodle, the mouth, her words to him, everything washed over his brain like a crushing tidal wave. "Miyuki!" he leapt from the bed, ignoring the pain that would have otherwise brought him to his knees, and dodged his fellow band members' hands, bolting from the room.

He could hear Russel and Murdoc giving chase behind him as he burst into the large main room of the tower, eyes frantically searching for the tiny robot girl. He spied her sitting in front of her charging station, watching him with her head tilted. She smiled sweetly as he cut across to the room toward her, grabbing her shoulders when he reached his destination.

"You know," he gasped as the Russel, Murdoc, and the pain caught up with him, "how to get there!"

She had no time to respond as Murdoc cut her off, "Get where, Dullard?"

"Ta 'ell," 2-D responded without looking at him. "She knows how to get to 'ell"

"She knows no such thing," Murdoc was incredulous. "I never programmed that inta her memory, cause I don' even know!"

"She does!" 2-D rounded on Murdoc, shouting.

"Okay, D, let's say she does know," Russel held up a hand to stay Murdoc's response. "How do _you _know that?"

2-D's eyes were wild, "_She_ told me," he hissed.

"But she can' talk, Faceache," Murdoc said, lost.

"Not, 'er. Noodle! Noodle tol' me."

The two men again exchanged worried glances over their disturbed friend.

Russel spoke slowly, as though talking to a man with a gun, "Okay, D. We're gonna take you back to bed," he motioned to himself and Murdoc, who nodded. "You've obviously been through a lot the past couple of weeks, and it's gettin' to you. You need to get some rest."

"NO!" 2-D shouted as the two men lunged toward him with the intention of forcibly taking him back to his room when suddenly, Miyuki positioned herself between 2-D and the other men, wielding a rather mean-looking knife.

"Woah!"

"Wha' the fook," Murdoc skidded to a halt, "_You_ get the fook back to yer station!"

Without warning, she twisted behind 2-D, pulling the knife underneath his throat, causing him to cry out in pain as she bent his unbound arm behind him.

"Chill, out, man," Russel placated the automaton, "What are you doing?"

She tilted her head toward the elevator toward which, Murdoc unquestioningly began to stride toward the door. Russel, however began to advance toward it. 2-D shook his head

"I wouldn' do that, Lards," Murdoc, called over his shoulder, "She could have you both gutted and fried before your fat ass hit the ground."

Russel wavered for a moment in indecision before following the bassist. Still holding the knife against 2-D's jugular, Miyuki led the both of them into the elevator, but not before picking up a rather large rucksack and strapping her station to her back. The door closed behind them.

Once inside, she released 2-D, who backed immediately away. She still held the blade aloft, ensuring that the three men would remain in their places. Then, still watching them carefully, she raised her hand in front of her face and placed the blade against her forearm.

"Oy!" Murdoc shouted, but it was too late, she sliced the blade into her wrist, dragging it upward toward the palm of her hand. Once she got there, she returned to her starting point, and began to pull the dagger around her arm, making an incision around the circumference. She checked the three men, who were now transfixed and no threat to her, and slowly, she began to peel the skin off her hand.

"Miyuki?" 2-D began, but was silenced as she rolled the skin toward her fingertips, revealing the chrome colored metal skeleton underneath. Tucking the dagger into her belt for safe measure, she turned to the access panel, opened it, and ripped the entire panel from the wall, revealing a strange and ancient-looking device underneath it. The men exchanged glances. In the center of the newly exposed device was a circular divot with spindly extensions encircling it. She raised her hand, and the metallic fingers suddenly snapped together with a loud clank and reopened, flattening her palm; then, the fingertips rotated around her hand to form a kind of star, identical to the impression in the device, into which she placed her hand. She rotated her arm, thirty degrees to the left, then 90 degrees to the right, then she removed it. A deafening alarm sounded, and the lift lurched sickeningly. Then, slowly, the elevator began to climb as the Android pulled a glove over the exposed metal of her hand.

"Wait," Murdoc said, backing himself against the wall, "this is as high as the elevator goes."

Russel looked nervously around, "Obviously not," he said gripping the railing behind him tighter.

"Miyuki?" 2-D queried again. "Wha' you doin'? I fought--" he had no time to finish his sentence as the elevator reached its apex. Miyuki tugged at his sleeve, and pulled him closer to her. He was too confused to remember to be afraid of the automaton who had just held a knife to his throat.

"I got a bad feeling 'bout dis," said the large drummer, "That thing is bat shit cra--"

Suddenly, the elevator shot downward back through Feel Good Inc., the numbers of the floors, flashing by at a more than alarming rate. 2-D felt himself being lifted into the air and grabbed Miyuki's arm as she seemed to be unfazed by the change in gravity. A terrified cry issued from his throat. Through his now floating feet, he looked to see the Murdoc was also airborne, screaming and clawing at Russel who was obviously too heavy to be lifted into the air. Finally, Murdoc wrapped himself around the black man's head, screeching.

"_Wha' the fook? Wha' the fook_?"

The three men watched as the floor numbers rapidly reached the ground level, and braced them selves (the two impromptu astronauts as best they could) for the eminent impact at the bottom of the tower, but were perplexed and relieved as the elevator passed zero with only a small jolt. 2-D and Murdoc were both lifted higher into the air, howling in fear as their terrifying ride reached terminal velocity, diving deep into the depths of the earth. The three men could only imagine what was going on outside the plummeting lift.

Without warning, the elevator halted, pitching Russel to the floor and sending the other two men crashing down on top of him. The three groaned in a heap and looked up at the Android, who rolled her eyes, and walked out of the elevator and into harsh landscape beyond.

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Next Chapter: The Second Circle


	8. The Second Circle

I'm so excited, we're to the Hell chapters!

Well, you know that the Gorillaz are the sole creative property of Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlitt.

The following chapters are inspired by and borrowed heavily from Dante Alighieri's _Inferno_. NOT the video game, the poem. So, credit where credit is due.

So many wonderful reviews! Thanks much as always to The Hazel Eyed Angel and lolilee. I also want to thank deeskato, Gimme back that fillet o'fish, and Yennattrib.

Ugh... Don't you hate it when you go back to read a chapter and you find TONS of grammatical and mechanical errors? I'm gonna read the next chapters more carefully. Once I'm done, I'll repost the old chapters with corrections.

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The three men still lay in a great heap on the floor of the elevator, staring where Miyuki had just disappeared.

"Aw, fook," said Murdoc, "this can' be good."

"Where are we, Muds?" Russel questioned as 2-D, groaning, began to untangle himself from his fellow band members' bodies.

"We're in 'ell," he answered for the bassist, following the Android out of the lift.

Russel swallowed and stood, tossing Murdoc to the floor.

When they had all abandoned the elevator and the door had closed behind them, they stood, awestruck at what they saw: As far as the eye could see, there were countless people, a sea of destitute, hopeless people obviously awaiting judgment from a great creature who towered above the heads of the damned.

His face and torso were that of a crowned man, but he had no legs. Below his torso stretched down many writhing and thrashing tentacles, the longest of which, he would wrap around his body when one of the multitudes stood before him (2-D had no idea why he did this). At this gesture, the soul would give a great wail as another of the tentacles wrapped around his throat and tossed him into the abyss in front of which the creature was standing.

Murdoc growled, "I got the lead," he said, snatching Miyuki by her hand and ripping the rucksack off her shoulder. He yanked the zipper and reached in, producing a large pistol that he tossed to 2-D, who caught it and stared at it. Reaching in again, he pulled out a shotgun and handed it to Russel. A third time, and an assault rifle appeared, which he kept. He tossed the bag back to the Android who retrieved two more very large guns and strapped the bag back to her back before grabbing 2-D's shaking hand in her gloved one.

"Will dese keep us safe?" 2-D questioned, eying the pistol in his hand.

Murdoc grinned as 2-D tucked the pistol in his belt, "Not a chance in hell, but most of the bastards here haven't accepted they're dead, so should buy us some time if one of them tries to get frisky."

At this, the group began to cross the cavern, skirting the outside of the mass of people and trying to stay out of the sight of the creature. They failed.

"O you who reach this house of suffering, be careful how you enter, whom you trust; the gate is wide, but do not be deceived!"

They turned to see the monster staring directly at them, awaiting a response. Russel and 2-D looked toward Murdoc, who smiled, resting his gun on his shoulder.

"We' come to get somethin' we lost. You ain't got no business wit' us, so get back to work, Minos."

A low grumble issued from the judge's throat, but he remained quiet. Instead, he snatched a woman at his feet with one of his tentacles, and studied her carefully, then he smiled a mirthless smile. "It will be difficult to judge your punishment when your time comes, Niccals. You fit so many of the criteria for so many levels," he said as he tossed her, screeching, into the void.

Murdoc shrugged, "Betta get started, then," and turned continue his journey.

"Should you be teasing him like that?" Rusself walked next to Murdoc.

"Him?" Murdoc jerked his head back toward the cavern. "He's the least of our worries."

2-D cast a worried glance toward Miyuki, who responded by squeezing his hand.

They walked for some time, the blue-haired man staring at the ground in front of his feet, when suddenly, 2-D plowed into Russel's expansive back and stumbled back onto the ground.

"Wha' the-" he started to question, but was silenced when he peered around Russel to see what had halted their progress

At first 2-D thought that it was simply a black curtain, but upon closer inspection, he realized that it was a wall of absolute darkness.

Russel swallowed deeply, eyes wide at the obstruction, "What's in there, Muds?" his voice wavered.

Murdoc simply frowned and walked forward through the wall, disappearing immediately beyond it. Miyuki followed.

Russel looked back at 2-D, who had pulled himself off the ground. The younger man nodded him on, and side by side, the two men plunged into the darkness.

Their hands flew to their ears. The sound of the wind was deafening, tossing their clothes wildly about them, whipping their hair about their faces. 2-D found his bandages being ripped from his body and he winced. Looking back, he could see nothing beyond the wall through which they had passed. He was wondering how they would find their way around this place when a horrifying thought crossed his mind. Where was everybody else? He threw his hands out wildly, searching for anyone, groping madly in the darkness. Suddenly, soft glow from off to his left caught his attention. He looked instinctively toward it and gasped. Miyuki's skin was glowing! Russel, who was still standing next to 2-D, watched the phenomenon, mouth agape. Murdoc, who was standing now with Miyuki's rucksack in one hand and a screwdriver in the other, looked like a man showing off his first child. Self-indulgent pride marked his face, and he grinned at the shocked look on the other men's faces. He strode toward them.

"New upgrade," he shouted over the gale.

Russel rolled his eyes, he was unconcerned with the older man's bragging, "Where is this?" he motioned into the darkness. 2-D and Russel froze. Before, they could tell nothing of their surrounding. Now, they could see a great, swirling, unmoving hurricane. Caught up in it's currents, whipped and molested by the violent winds were countless souls, their cries of pain and sorrow melting into the sound of the storm.

"The second circle," Murdoc shouted his response. "This is the place where the horny get tossed," he smirked as a particularly beautiful and naked woman whipped past them, groped and fondled by several other souls. "This is for those who couldn't keep it in their pants," he clarified.

2-D laughed, "Sounds like the perfect place for Muds, huh, Russel."

Murdoc's grin fell, and he strode over to the offending man, his hand shooting out and slapping 2-D on the back of the head.

"Keep yer fookin mouth shut, Dullard."

Suddenly, the sound of a gun firing behind them caught their attentions. They were horrified at what they saw when they turned.

One of the men caught in the hurricane, drawn by the light emanating from Miyuki, had latched onto her arm and was attempting to pull her clothes off. She had fired her gun into his face in an attempt to scare him off, but he was undeterred. The assailant was soon joined by another, who lifted her leg into the air.

2-D bolted to the aid of his friend followed by a shouting Murdoc. They had almost reached her when suddenly, the struggling souls were snatched back into the torrent, taking Miyuki with them.

"No!" 2-D shouted. watching her being carried further away. He looked back at Murdoc, who shook his head, before being plunged into darkness. Knowing what would happen if they left her, the singer dove headlong into the whirlwind.

"FOOKIN, DULLARD!," he heard Murdoc shouting after him.

Immediately the wind was knocked out of him, and he was deafened by the roar of the gale. His clothes were whipped around him as he search frantically for the tell-tale glow of his friend. He spied a small spot of light in the distance, consumed now in a great ball of souls who grasping and clawing at her body. He tucked his arms to his sides and pulled his legs together, creating less wind resistance, and found himself rocketing toward the mass of bodies. Hands whipped and tore at his face, but he ignored them and focused on the growing glow in the distance. Suddenly, he felt something grab his foot, and he kicked madly to dislodge it as he found himself slowing down.

"Ow! Fookin idgit," came a voice from behind him, and he craned his neck to see Murdoc had followed him into the hurricane. He nodded at the older man who let his foot go, and 2-D resumed his hurtle toward Miyuki. When he reached her, he opened his arms and legs to slow himself, but it wasn't enough as he slammed bodily into her, forcing his arms and leg to wrap around her and knocking a great many of the souls away. The force of the blow, however, caused his head to spin and his vision to gray out. When he regained his senses, he found that his grip on her was slipping. Tightening his hold, he wrapped himself fully around her and began to kick at the souls who had not been thrown off at the impact. He felt Murdoc's hand grab his foot, spinning them as the shot past, and the last of the people were shaken off in the centrifugal force. He was holding Miyuki tight to him when he realized that he had no idea where they were or how to get back to Russel.

Before him, Murdoc looked over his shoulder and pointed at a pinpoint of light. Russel had apparently located a flashlight in Miyuki's bag, and was signaling them. Murdoc, slowed his motion and reached out to take 2-D's hand, directing the three of them closer to the edge of the hurricane, aiming for Russel's now-extended hand. With a violent jolt, the trio slammed to a halt as the two men grasped each other. With a great heave, Russel pulled them and they all collapsed, gasping for air onto the ledge.

2-D's eyes flew open, and he rolled onto his side, studying the tiny Android in his arms. Her eyes were closed, and her glow was beginning to fade.

"Muds," he shouted, "somethin's wrong!"

Groaning, Murdoc, pushed Russel's massive leg off his stomach and sat up, "She's probably badly damaged and is powering down. She's a smart li'l minx, and she doesn' wanna attract any more attention," he sighed at the frantic look on 2-D's face, "Her station will run a diagnostic and repair her, but not here, Dullard. This place is dangerous enough. We'll set up camp in the transition to the third circle."

2-D nodded, and the three men began to gather their gear in the light of the torch, relieved that the souls seemed uninterested in the flashlight: the memory of Miyuki's greater aura was still afresh in their memories.

2-D relinquished Miyuki to Russel, who was stronger and better able to carry the heavy Android, and picked up the surprisingly heavy rucksack, hoisting it onto his back. Hurrying, the travelers almost ran the distance to the other side of the circle as the buffeted souls were now forgetting the previous light and were becoming enamored of the flashlight, trying to crowd closer to it. When they reached the outer rim of the circle, they breathed a sigh of relief as they left the sound of the screeching souls and the howling wind behind them. Russel turned off the light as the dull gray glow of the next circle began to fill their vision. Once they felt they had moved to a safe enough area out of the reach of the lustful people, they began to set up camp, which, thanks to Miyuki, they had plenty of supplies for. (The three men couldn't help but wonder if she had known of their trip and stocked the bag accordingly.)

Once Miyuki had been hooked up to the charging station and they had finished their meager meal of cold canned beans, Russel and Murdoc fell into fitful sleeps while 2-D took the first watch. He strapped Murdoc's assault rifle across his shoulder and stared in either direction, straining his eyes in the meager light looking for any movement. After a couple hours of nothing, he decided to go check on Miyuki's progress.

Her clothes had been badly ripped, especially around her chest, exposing the top of one tiny nipple. The skin of her inner thigh, near her crotch had deep gouges where she had been violently groped. The skin of the one of her arms had been torn away, and wires and her metal skeleton were exposed on one arm. He frowned at the sight, and he felt an emptiness building in his chest. He had let her down just as he had let Noodle down.

"I'm so sowwy," he whispered, stroking her cheek and pulling her shirt up to cover her breast. His eyes began to fill up with tears as he thought of her spinning for all eternity in that whirlwind to be fondled and raped by the insatiable libidos of the lustful. He couldn't stand the thought of another of his friends trapped in this nightmare. Then, visions of Noodle being violated at the hands of some hellish demon assaulted his mind. He shook his head and resumed his watch sitting next to her. About two hours later, Russel awakened, and 2-D stretched out on the ground, watching Miyuki's slumped head as he drifted off into yet another another restless sleep.


	9. Home, Sweet Home

Okay, you guys gotta make with the reviews. I'm startin' to get self-conscious

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"Oy, Dullard, get yer ass in gear," Murdoc roughly nudged 2-D's stomach with his boot, forcing a grunt out of the young man. He raised his head, and looked immediately toward Miyuki. Both she and her docking station were gone. He sat up quickly, and looked around, relieved to see her standing a few feet behind him, staring back into the darkness. Murdoc had wrapped her arms and legs in gauze, covering the tears in her skin. 2-D also noticed that his bandages had been replaced. The similar haphazard wrap of the fabric showing that Murdoc had also done this. Aching from the previous day's turmoil, 2-D stood with a moan, stretching and cracking his cramped bones. Murdoc tossed him a bottle of water which he lapped up hungrily, not realizing how thirsty he was. Russel had grabbed 2-D's bedroll and was checking to make sure they had remembered everything.

"Okay," he said, satisfied, "Let's get a move on."

2-D and Murdoc nodded, and 2-D walked over to Miyuki and cleared his throat, afraid to touch her.

"Uh, Li'l One?" he started, "'s time ta go."

She made no movement at first, then her head turned slowly toward him, frowning. He could now see clearly the scratches on her face, and his heart turned in his chest. Upon seeing his disquiet, she slowly turned the corners of her mouth up in an ugly, plastic grin.

"No, Miyuki," he said, taking her damaged hand in his, "don' smile if you don' wanta. You understan' me? Don' smile fer me."

A strange looked crossed her face, and she slowly nodded her head, the ugly smile fading. He turned and made to drop her hand when her grip suddenly tightened on him. He looked back to see that she was casting wary glances back toward the Second Circle. He gave her a small smile, and squeezed her hand, reassuring her.

"I'll keep ya safe, Li'l One," he whispered back to her.

Murdoc raised an eyebrow as the pair joined he and Russel. 2-D shrugged his shoulders as Russel, looking forward into the ashen light of the next circle, asked, "So, Muds, what's next?"

Murdoc sneered at the larger man, "You'll see," and began to stride toward the light.

They only made it a few yards before a horrifying stench invaded their nostrils, driving the bile in 2-D's stomach to the top. He managed to tamp it down. He looked back at Murdoc tromped forward, seemingly unfazed by the stench, and into a sickeningly gray rain falling from nowhere. Once the rain began to fall on them, 2-D realized that the liquid was either the source of the stench or contributing to it. It reeked. As they walked in silence, 2-D seemed to be fighting a losing battle with last night's supper.

They had been walking for some time when a low growl from somewhere off to their left drew their attention, and Murdoc stopped. Reaching into the backpack, he produced a kerchief wrapped around something 2-D could not make out. The growl grew louder, and he tightened his grip on Miyuki's hand, backing closer to her. Russel had swung his shotgun from around his back and was cocking it when suddenly, a large creature leapt from behind a boulder and knocked him to the ground. Startled, 2-D yelped and stumbled backward over Miyuki. The creature who was now standing over Russel, snarling into his face, was terrifying. Its roughly doglike body was massive and its claws were covered in stinking blood. It had three heads and no eyes. It's mouths frothed and snapped, and one of its tongues rolled out of its mouth to taste Russel. Miyuki whirled one of her guns around and was preparing to let loose a hail of bullets when suddenly Murdoc stepped in front of her, whistling to catch the creature's attention. He was waving the contents of the kerchief in the monster's face. 2-D realized that it was a doughnut.

"Come here, you dumb ass dog," he growled. The centermost of the three heads rolled to look at the treat the bassist was waving. 2-D couldn't help but be dusturbed as the creature began to wag its tail: It was too innocent a gesture for such an abomination.

"Fetch!" Murdoc tossed the confection, and like a playful puppy, the creature bounded after it.

Russel was lying, panting on the ground when Murdoc came to stand over him, one of his feet resting on the drummer's stomach.

"Ol' Cerberus," Murdoc grinned, "I'd say he's a bitch, but..." he nodded toward the dog-like monster, whose rear end was sticking into the air, exposing his genitals as he lapped the rest of the doughnut.

Russel was still panting as he pushed the older man off of him and rose to his feet, "Why...did...he...go...after...me?"

"His job is to keep the fat asses in the lake," Murdoc's smile was malicious, "He musta thought you had gotten out."

"What lake?" Russel asked, ignoring the insult.

Murdoc led them around a jutting rock, and pointed. Stretching endlessly before them, was a putrid, oily lake. It was shallow. Shallow enough for the great stomachs of the gluttonous to protrude sickeningly from the fetid swamps. A raised path of stinking land swathed a course through the swamp to the other side of the circle. Murdoc walk across the land, barely casting a glance toward the souls that cried and twisted in the horrid rain. 2-D followed, leading Miyuki behind him, staring straight ahead in an attempt to keep from looking at the wretched souls at his feet. Russel fell in behind 2-D, scanning the faces that looked so like his. 2-D occasionally glanced behind him to see that Russel had stopped to look at one of the faces languishing in the swamp, and the blue-haired man would turn and encourage his despondent friend to continue, which he did. After about an hour of the sickening journey, 2-D rounded a rather large rock and was relieved to see Murdoc, several meters ahead of the others by now, had reached the other side and was leaning against the wall, smoking a cigarette.

He turned back to encourage Russel again, but was shocked to see the man was not behind him. "Muds!" 2-D shouted, and moved past Miyuki to run back around the rock.

He was relieved to see the rotund man standing a couple of meters away from him when he noticed that a rather large woman was sitting up and watching Russel.

Slowly, 2-D edged close to the pair, "Russ?"

"It's my grandma," he said, his voice cracking.

"Rusty?" the engorged woman questioned, her head twisting. 2-D's stomach turned as he watched her. Her eyes were a sickening pale gray, the putrid water was running down her cheeks, and she would occasionally flick her tongue out to lap up the disgusting liquid. Her skin was the color of wet putty.

Russel shuddered, "Nana?"

"Oh, my li'l boy. Where have you been. I been lookin' for you for so long. Come give your ol' Nana a hug."

Instinctively, Russel took a step forward. "NO!" 2-D shouted, grabbing Russel's arm and pulling him back before his foot hit the fetid waves. The woman's head swiveled toward the singer, "Who tha' fuck this skinny ass boy think he is?"

Russel looked blankly back at 2-D, "I don't know."

"Wot you mean, Russ? 'Hit's me. 'Hit's 2-D."

"I don't know no 2-D."

2-D was concerned, "We need ta go, Russ. 'dis place seems ta be gettin' ta ya."

"Kill him, Rusty, he's tryin' to keep da two of us apart."

Russel lurched toward 2-D, and the skinnier man backed up a step, wincing at a sudden sharp pain in his chest, "Russ, this isn' real. Tha' ain' yer grandma."

"Her name's Nana," the older man said simply, diving toward 2-D who deftly dodged his attack, but 2-D was nothing, if not clumsy, and he tripped ungracefully on a small rock the path in his attempt to escape, landing in the water on the edge of the path. This was too much for his already queasy stomach, and he wretched into the liquid. Meanwhile, Russel had recovered, and was bearing down on him. 2-D, still reeling from his bout of vomiting rolled back onto the path, not noticing Russel until he had grabbed him by his throat and slammed him into the boulder, tightening his grip. 2-D's hands scrabbled desperately at the large hands clutching his throat, and his feet kicked lamely in the air as he felt his vision begin to fade.

Suddenly, a flash of gray and black slammed into Russel's stomach, sending the large man reeling backward and onto the ground. Gasping for air, 2-D slid down the boulder and was caught in someone's arms. He looked up and was startled to see that it was Miyuki who had caught him. He turned his head to see Murdoc standing with his assault rifle trained on a furious and despondent looking Russel.

"Leave us alone!" Russel shouted, tears beginning to stream down his face. "Can't you see that we just want to be left alone?"

Murdoc barked, "With what? That?" he pointed his gun toward the wallowing woman and pulled the trigger. She shrieked and fell back into the slime, clutching her face.

Bellowing, Russel jumped to his feet, swinging his shotgun from around his back, and rushed toward the green-skinned man, who pointed his own gun back at the drummer.

"YOU KILLED HER!" Russel cried, his voice cracking.

Murdoc growled, "She ain't real, Lards"

Russel cocked the shotgun, pushing it into the other man's twisted nose, tears pouring freely down his cheeks, "She was all I had. She was all I had left," his finger quivered on the trigger, "and you killed her."

"SHE AIN'T REAL!" Murdoc roared, pushing the shotgun down into his chest, extending his arms. "None of these people are," Russel's eyes twitched nervously in his head, and he began to visibly shake. "They are shades, ghosts. They are miserable specters who only want to pull more people down with them so they won't be alone. Don't cry for them, cause they sure as hell don't cry for you!" At the older man's words, Russel dropped the shotgun, and fell to his knees.

"Get yer fookin self together, Lards. Don' you remember wha' we're here for? _Who_ we're here for? She's the real one here, and she wouldn' be too happy if we jus' up an lef' yer ass wallowin' here like a pig!"

"Noodle," Russel spoke the name weakly. "She's my little girl. She's my little baby girl."

"Tha's righ', Noodle. She needs you to hold on fer her. She needs all of us to hold it together, ya dig?"

Russel began to sob. Murdoc's face softened, "I know, man. I know it's hard, but you can't get sucked in by this place," he looked from Russel to 2-D, "Noodle-girl can take care of herself, but not for long. She's more breakable than she seems, and we don't have much time before Dielens will find a way to break her. Now get up, both of you," he motioned to 2-D who was still sitting on the ground, "and let's get the fook outta here. We still gotta long ways to go."

* * *

"I hated her," Russel admitted to 2-D, eliciting a shocked look from the smaller man.

They had traversed into the Fourth Circle, and Murdoc was ever ahead of them, playfully dodging the boulders that were being eternally pushed by those who had either squandered or hoarded their wealth. When one poor soul got too, close, Murdoc would delight in tripping them and laughing as the stone would roll atop them. Miyuki strolled near the two men who were deep in discussion, keeping an eye on the specters who would shout "Why do you hoard?" or "Why do you squander?" each time they met at the apex of the semicircle. She wanted to ensure that no one here would assail the group as they had in the last two circles. 2-D and Russel had been hanging behind the other two when Russel made his confession.

"She used to hit me, you know," he kept his eyes on a tormented man as he rolled his encumbrance past them. "A lot, then she'd drag me to church and 'pray for my eternal soul.' She said she had to keep me straight. She didn't want me to grow up to be like that 'bastard father' of mine," he snorted. "My father left my mother when she was pregnant with me. She died giving birth to me."

"I'm sowwy, Russ, I didn' know," 2-D apologized.

"I've worked hard to make sure that no one did," he said, watching as Murdoc fell into another fit of laughter as another put-upon soul was crushed by his rock. He continued, "She was all I had, though, and even though I hated her, I loved her. She fed me, clothed me, and most importantly," he patted his stomach, "she taught me how to cook."

2-D chuckled, "I fink she did a pwetty good job, Russ. If ya ask me."

Russel smiled at the singer, "Thanks, man. And, I'm sorry. You know, about-"

2-D held up his hand, "I undastan'," he said and rubbed his throat playfully, "You migh' owe me a massage when we get back, though."

Russel rolled his eyes and punched him in the shoulder, "Whatever, man. Keep dreaming."

The two men looked to see that Miyuki and Murdoc were standing and waiting for the two to join them.

"I wos hopin' you two'd decide to catch up. Did you at least cuddle afterward?"

"Shut up, Muds," Russel pushed past him. Obviously, Russel hadn't completely forgiven him, "What's next?"

2-D grabbed Miyuki's hand, smiling at her as Murdoc explained that they had passed into the Fifth Circle. He cast a wicked grin over his shoulder toward the blue-haired singer as they rounded the large dividing wall that obviously separated these damned from each other and sneered, "Home, sweet home, Dullard."

His attention caught, he followed Murdoc's gaze into the inner ring of the circle where a deadly-looking dark purple river cut through the landscape, cutting a deep, ugly scar into the landscape. He looked at the bassist, intent on asking what he meant by his statement, but the older man had already begun to follow the flowing appendage to a large swamp in the center of the circle. Looking around Murdoc as they walked after him, 2-D noticed that there was something moving on the surface of the swamp. He shuddered, knowing in his gut what it was.

His fears were confirmed as he heard angry voices shouting over the roar of the violet river: They were people. Murdoc was standing now at the edge of the swamp, a strange look on his face, looking over the expanse of screeching voices stretching endlessly before the group.

"'Oo are dey?" 2-D asked, watching as the beat against each other, tearing at each others' flesh with teeth, nails, splintered bones.

Murdoc stared for a few minutes before responding. "The Wrathful," he growled. 2-D knew that voice. He heard the danger, the warning implicit in the voice, and backed away. "This is where Minos will send me when...," he shook his head and suddenly rounded on 2-D, making the younger man jump. "But I won' be alone, will I, Faceache?" the look on his face was positively malicious.

2-D's eye's flickered toward Russel and Miyuki, who were standing nearby, and began to edge closer to the pair, "Wha' d'ya mean, Muds?" he said, his voice shaking slightly.

"Don't ya know, Stuart?" 2-D gasped slightly, Murdoc never called him by his real name. "We get to spend eternity together. Can't you see them? Under the surface? They're the sad ones. The ones we beat up on. They're the ones the pharmaceutical companies prey on. They're called the Sullen, and you're one of them."

A sudden ache in his chest caused him to cover his heart with his hand and double over. Murdoc seized this opportunity to grab 2-D by the neck and plunge his head under the water. 2-D screamed soundlessly as his eyes focused on millions of faces reaching for him, crying out to him and trying to pull them into the swamp with them. Men and women, wailing sorrowfully cried for peace and joy that would never be given them. He wept. Suddenly, his head was ripped from the water, and he was face to face with Murdoc, who was holding Russel and Miyuki at bay with his rifle.

"Do what you can to stay out of here, Stu. This place ain't for you, do you hear me?" he whispered quietly enough for the others not to hear him

Still gasping, 2-D nodded his head, hoping that the other man couldn't see the tears that were still falling. Murdoc stood and tossed 2-D to the ground, a scowl etched into his face.

Miyuki ran forward and lifted him to his feet, casting angry glances at Murdoc, who lit a cigarette and stared across the water.

"What's that?" Russel caught everyone else's attention with a beefy finger. He was pointing at a dark brown object darting toward them across the purple waves.

Murdoc's face brightened slightly, "Bout fookin' time," he growled. Noticing the quizzical looks on the other's faces, he rolled his eyes, "Phlegyas, the boatman. He's gonna take us across the Styx to the next level."

"NOW YOU ARE CAUGHT, FOUL SOUL!" the hooded figure at the helm of the barge shouted upon his arrival at the shore.

"Ah, shut the fook up, Phlegy," Murdoc barked at the boatman whose mouth snapped shut at the affront. "no one gives a fook bout you." Then, to the rest of the party as they pulled away from the shore, he said "He's pretty much Hell's taxi driver."

About halfway across, the group were startled to hear a voice calling one of them.

"Murdoc! Murdoc Niccals!"

"Oh, shit." he grumbled upon spying the owner of the voice, who was now attempting to board the vessel.

"Little Jimmy?" 2-D looked down upon the small man who paid him no attention.

"Muds," he continued reaching up toward Murdoc, "help an old friend out."

The bassist sneered and kicked the soul away from the boat. The group watched as the other wrathful specters began to rip the man limb from limb.

"HA! Man, I'm glad to see that li'l bastard here," Murdoc slapped his knee and doubled over in giggles.

2-D stared where Jimmy had disappeared below the surface of the water for a few minutes before looking in the direction the boat was heading in and saw countless towers reaching far above their heads.

"Where're we?"

Murdoc's fit of laughter subsided as the boat slid into a channel running along the city. He swiped the mirthful tears away, "Dis, the city of heretics. We won't have much further ta go after this. Dielens' territory is in the next circle, through Dis and across the river of blood. He watches over the suicides.

2-D was confused, "There's a _city _down here?"

Murdoc nodded, "Yea, but we got no time fr sightseeing. We gotta get through this place as quickly as possible. Don' wanna stick aroun' here for too long."

"Why?" Russel asked, "What's worse about this place than where we just came from?"

"Well," Murdoc kept his eyes averted as the boat docked and he disembarked, "there's this chick, and les jest say tha she'll be none too happy to see me."

"Tha' can' be good," 2-D moaned, but was silenced at a glare from Murdoc.

Russel rolled his eyes as he lifted Miyuki off of the barge, "What did you do to her?"

"Me? Nothing!" Murdoc feigned innocence, "She wanted somethin' I couldn' give her."

"What?" Russel was incredulous, "Since when have you turned down booty?"

"This once," Murdoc sneered, "Not much on shagging chicks I can' look in the face."

Russel's head snapped up and 2-D was confused as usual, "Why couldn' ya look 'er in the face?"

"Let me guess.' Russel tried, "Her name? Is it Medusa?"

Murdoc's grin widened.


	10. The City of Dis

So, here's the deal...I guess it's time to change the title of the story. "Sunshine" might not work. I hate it, but I haven't/wont even use the word anywhere in my story. This is where you come in: Help me rename the story! However, if you think that I should stick with "Sunshine" and do a whole "Why'd she name it that? The word doesn't even appear in the story!" ala "Good Riddance" by Green Day, LMK. Submit your suggestions through the reviews. The winner...gets to name my story! Thanks!

* * *

"Seriously, Muds, you have led one fucked-up life." Russel said to the older man, who led the group toward the massive gates of the city of Dis.

Murdoc's snakelike tongue flicked between his lips, "Wha' can I say, I'm irresistible."

From behind the green-skinned "sex god", Miyuki wrinkled her nose and lolled her tongue out as though she were gagging, and 2-D had to feign a coughing fit to cover up his laughter. Russel had seen the Android's face, and his eyes widened. He pretended that there was something very interesting on the ground to hide his grin. Murdoc's head tilted, but didn't seem to feel that his fellow travelers' sudden insanity warranted his attention.

2-D cleared his throat, "Shall we?" he motioned toward the gate. They accepted and walked up to the closed gate. Murdoc knocked. They waited for what seemed like an eternity (and it could have been, since the travelers had no concept of time in the Void), before a small panel in the front of the gate slid open.

"Who is this who, without death, can journey through the kingdom of the dead?" Said a rather hideous-looking demon whose pock-marked face jutted through the hole.

Murodc made a sign that said, "Fuck you," and the demon's face swiveled toward the bassist.

"Murdoc Niccals," the creature sneered, leaning his elbows on the edge of the door, "long time, no see. What brings you here to our lovely city," he gestured widely.

"Fook off, Deekin." Murdoc growled. "You know good and guddamn well why I am here."

The creature named Deekin widened his grin and said, "Well, you know it's not my choice, it's theirs," at this he pointed up.

2-D looked upward and cried out. Circling above them were three winged women each clothed in live snakes that writhed and wrapped around their bodies. Their hair was also formed of tiny snakes and vipers which hissed and snapped at the women's faces. They swooped and landed in a semi-circle behind the group, blocking any possible escape. Miyuki pulled one of her larger guns out and trained it on the creature closest to her. Murdoc, however, forced her to lower her gun.

"Ladies," he began. "Lovely as ever, I see. Have your snakes molted? They're positively glowing."

"It is him," one hissed, "our lady will be pleased, indeed."

"Aw, Megaera," Murdoc responded, "come, now. After all we shared?"

She withdrew as though burned, and her sisters snapped their heads toward her. Russel gaped at Murdoc, and 2-D nearly gagged.

"Just let Medusa come; then we shall turn him into stone," another shrieked.

"No," the third hissed, "we should toss them into the abyss," she motioned toward the ubiquitous hole in the center of all the rings.

The one called Megaera had recovered from Murdoc's admission, "No, let them in," her sisters snarled at her, "Medusa will deal with them."

At this, all three Furies shrieked toward Deekin, who reluctantly opened the gate. The three hovered above the travelers' heads as they entered the city of Dis.

Once the gate had shut behind them, Murdoc rounded on them, "Whatever you do, do NOT open your eyes. The legends about Medusa are all too true. She will turn us to stone before we realize that we have opened our eyes," Murdoc jerked his head toward Miyuki, "_She _won' be affected by Medusa's stare since she ain' alive, but we will So she will lead." He grabbed 2-D's shirt and looked at Russel, "She is convincing and clever. She will do anything to get you to open your eyes, so be careful, got it?" For good measure, Murdoc grabbed some gauze and wrapped it several times around his own head. He extended the rest of the roll to Russel who looked at 2-D. There wasn't enough for both of them. Wordlessly, 2-D reached down and winced as he unwrapped some of the gauze from his hands. He wrapped the fabric around as Russel followed suit and placed a heavy hand on 2-D's shoulder. A gloved hand in his own suggested that Miyuki had grabbed one of his hands, and Murdoc had grabbed hold of Russel's arm.

Slowly, the quartet began to walk through the strangely silent city.

Above their heads, they heard the laughter of the Furies, taunting them to uncover their eyes and look toward them. 2-D felt wetness striking his face and arms, and he assumed that they were spitting on them. Still, the travelers edged on, seeking the other side of the city. Suddenly, 2-D felt as if he had been plunged into a vat of ice water. He began to shake uncontrollably. A hissing sound from nearby had been growing until now it seemed right next to his head. He felt something cold and scaly slither under his chin, and a mirthless laugh in his ear, chilling him to the bone, "My servants have brought me something to play with." He shivered, Medusa had arrived.

She laughed a shrieking laugh, and said something in a language that he didn't understand, but he knew he didn't like the implications of.

2-D yelped as he felt something whoosh past his head. He realized then that the Furies attempts at goading the men out of their ocular restraints weren't enough for the hissing woman next to him, and were now trying a new tactic.

Suddenly, something slammed bodily into him, sending him reeling to the ground and away from the rest of the group. His gauze fell away, and he frantically covered his eyes as the sound of gunshots filled the air. Miyuki was desperately trying to fend off the harpies who simply laughed at the automaton.

"Don' open yer eyes, Dullard!" Murdoc shouted, grunting as apparently another assault had been taken out on him, "Whatever you do, don' open...AGHHHH!" Murdoc cried out in pain and fell into silence.

2-D gasped, "'ello?" the space around him was devoid of sound, "Anyone?"

"Stuart?" he froze. He strained his ears to see if he could hear the tiny sound again.

"'oo's there?"

"Stuart?" slightly louder this time. "I'm scared," his breath hitched in his throat.

"...Li'l Love?" he said weakly. "'s tha' you?" his gasps quickened, and he reached out with one of his hands, searching desperately for the source of the voice.

"Please, take me from this place. I'm so tired," she began to weep.

"Come ta me, Li'l Love. I can' open my eyes."

The sounds of fabric shuffling came from nearby him, and he felt warm skin touching his cheek.

"I was afraid I'd never see you again," she whispered, stroking his skin. "I can't believe it's really you."

He felt her kneel before him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a crushing embrase. He smelled her hair: The scent of raspberries filling his nostrils.

"2-D, I've missed you so much," he moaned as he felt her place legs on either side of his hips, straddling him.

"Noodle-girl," he grunted as he felt her hips begin to grind into his, "wha're ya doin..."

He was cut off as she crushed his lips with hers, thrusting her tongue into his mouth. For a second, he was lost in the sensation, in her taste, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, that _this _was wrong. Slowly, the ache in his chest returned, and he gasped against the sensation. However, all thoughts were chased from his mind as she almost violently pressed her pubic bone against him. He moaned in pain and ecstasy and began to stroke his fingers up and down her back

"Look at me," she moaned into his mouth. "I want to see your eyes.

His heartbeat quickened. What? There was something wrong with that request. Something in the back of his mind that screaming at him not to obey her order.

"Look at me!" it was a demand, now, with a coldness that 2-D had never heard in Noodle's voice before.

When he refused to open them, he felt himself being lifted bodily from the ground and tossed violently through the air. He screeched in pain as he landed on his dislocated shoulder. Suddenly, the voice was upon him again, pinning him to the ground.

"OPEN YOUR EYES!" it shrieked, and he felt a white-hot sting across his chest as something slashed through shirt and skin. He cried out in pain as he squeezed his eyes shut tighter. It hissed into his ear, "I will make you hurt. I will make you feel pain the likes of which you have never felt before. Then, I will hunt her down. I will make you watch as I rip her limb from limb and feast on her flesh," she seemed to be feeding images into his head as he could see the picture she was painting vividly as though a projector was casting images on the backs of his eyelids, he began to weep, "I will feed her to Cerberus and cast her into the abyss. Do you want to spare her that suffering? Don't you love her? OPEN YOUR EYES AND GAZE UPON MY FA-" The sounds of gunfire sliced through the air, and the creature shrieked as bullets sliced through her skin. There was the sound of a great struggle as something slammed hard into Medusa. 2-D jumped when he heard Russel's voice very near him.

"D? You there, man?" 2-D said yes. "Those flying bitches had me pinned down, cut me up pretty bad, and Murdoc's out cold. _It_...Miyuki came to my rescue. Took them out."

A shriek from the struggling pair indicated that Miyuki had won the struggle. The screams faded as Medusa retreated.

Suddenly, 2-D found himself being jerked to his feet and pulled at a running pace away from the Gorgon. Miyuki had caught 2-D and Russel's hands as she ran past. They stopped abruptly, and the sounds of something heavy being lifted suggested that they had stopped to retrieve Murdoc before they continued their flight out of the city of Dis.

* * *

2-D stared back toward the city, eyebrows knit together. He had been convinced that it was, in fact, Noodle who had been touching him. He would have opened his eyes for her. He would have looked into that face and been separated from Noodle for eternity at her word. He was shaken to the core. He was beginning to believe that nothing was real. If Medusa could have deceived him so easily into thinking that she were his Li'l Love, could he have been deceived this whole time? Were his dreams real? Was she calling out to him? Had their night together actually happened? Instinctively, his hand rose to rub his chest where Noodle had touched him. Where she had reached into his soul and left an indellible mark on him. "No," he shook his head. It was real. Medusa had tricked him, but he knew his Li'l Love. She was here.

A moan from behind him indicated that Murdoc had finally come to. He turned to look at the black haired man, who had risen off of the ground, gingerly patting the gauze that covered the gash on the side of his head. Russel, who had also had his wounds tended to by the Android, was on his hands and knees, peering into the older man's eyes.

"Wha' the fook-Ah! Lards, ya scared the hell outta me. You gotta warn a guy before sticking that ugly-ass mug inta someone else's face."

Russel shook his head and stood, satisfied that Murdoc was back to his old self.

He turned to look back at the city, and jumped, startled to see Miyuki standing in front of him. She watched him for a few seconds before pointing back at Dis and shaking her head.

"Wot's tha', Lil' One?" he questioned. She repeated the gesture. This time, he was quicker on the uptake. "Oh, tha'? I'm fine, really, Miyu," he said and forced a smile to prove this to her. Suddenly, she strode forward and grabbed his hand, shaking her head again.

His smile faded, "Yer right, Li'l One. Maybe I'm not so alright, but I will be. No more fake smiles, I pwomise."

At his assurance, Miyuki smiled and turned back toward Murdoc and Russel who were setting up camp. 2-D marveled, smiling, as, for the first time since he had met the Android at Kong Studios, Russel smiled at her.

A sudden sensation tantamount to falling wiped the smile from his face however. It left him breathless for a second, and he leaned against a rock, rubbing over his heart until the feeling subsided.

"D?" came the concerned question from nearby. He looked to see the others staring at him curiously.

"Oh," he gasped relishing the feeling of breathing again, "I guess I'm jus' tired. Been a long day," he chuckled.

Russel seemed unconvinced, but he continued his conversation with Murdoc.

"So, tell me about this forest, Muds. It sounds strange that a forest would be growing in hell," with a sweeping gesture, he indicated the lack of sunlight.

Murdoc scoffed, "In case you haven't noticed, the laws of nature don' really matter here, do they? The trees are people, sort of. They grow up from the ground and slowly consume the poor bastards."

Suddenly, the sensation returned, only this time it was more acute. 2-D gasped to catch his breath, but found that he couldn't breathe. His hand went back to clutch his chest, when a pain shot through his body, causing him to cry out in pain as he doubled over.

The two men stopped talking at the sound as Miyuki ran forward to catch the blue-haired man before he fell to the ground.

"Gah!" he gasped. "It hurts!"

His heart gave a sickening lurch, and he began to claw at his chest, ripping the fabric of his T-shirt as the other two men ran forward.

"NOODLE!" he shrieked. Russel was attempting to pull the younger man's face toward him to look him in the eye when suddenly 2-D's body went stiff. His jaw clenched tightly and his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

"Stop!" Murdoc shouted. "He's having a seizure." He looked at Miyuki who was cradling 2-D's head in her arms. "Is it poison? Did Medusa poison him?"

She shook her head frantically as 2-D let out an ear-piercing cry and went limp.

The other two men were hysterical.

"Is he dead?" Russel questioned, grabbing the Android by her shoulders. "Miyuki, is he dead?

In answer to his question, 2-D's eyes flew open, and he sucked in a lungful of air. His eyes rolled in his skull, attempting to focus on the worried faces surrounding him. He opened his mouth to talk as tears began to streak down his face.

"I can'..." he gasped, sobbing.

"You can' what, Dullard?" Murdoc stared into his friend's face.

"I can'...I can' feel her anymore," he clutched at his chest. "_I can' feel Noodle anymore."_

_

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Two more chapters to go! I'm so excited. Please review so I can have some effective feedback


	11. Hurt

One Last chappy after this one. Almost sad.

* * *

They continued in silence, following 2-D, who walked a few paces ahead of them. Whatever 2-D's revelation that he had lost contact with Noodle meant, they had determined that they had come too far to turn back now. They needed to know what had happened. They needed to find her, to see her, so they traveled into the Seventh Circle where Dielens dominated over the suicides. Their minds traveled with them as they walked.

Russel was lost deep in his memories of his surrogate daughter. Ever since she had been delivered to them in a Fed-Ex box—was it really ten years ago?—he had been her father. He had mourned, oh yes. Publicly, Murdoc had told the press that Russel was "exploring his inner demons" or some shit like that. In reality, he had suffered another mental breakdown. He had spent a year in the New York State Psychiatric Institute trying and failing to come to grips with the loss of Noodle-girl. They had been unable to help him, though. Even the medications they had prescribed them were like charging hell with a water pistol—Useless. He scoffed to himself, shifting the weight of the shotgun to his other shoulder. Wasn't that what they were doing now?

Murdoc, as usual, was smoking a cigarette, desiring for a bottle of some numbing liquid. He didn't really care what the name was. They were all the same, even the weak ones. They all did the job eventually. He needed to be numb. Since Dielens had appeared on the television a few weeks ago, he had been losing his lifelong struggle to kill anything that could be remotely be called an emotion that wasn't anger or hatred. Now, he felt he was being forced to face his own demons—figuratively or not—and he didn't like it. Reflection wasn't his strong point. He acted and reacted. It was just who he was, and he had no intention of changing it.

No one spoke to 2-D, but they were all worried about him in their own way. He had suffered more than any of them. While Russel and Murdoc had seemingly continued on with their lives after Noodle's disappearance, 2-D hadn't. For three years, he had lived in the past on that shattered and scorched little island, straining his eyes into the horizon, searching for his Li'l Love. Now, they were unsure if they would ever find her, and they knew he would never return to the present again if they couldn't. Suffering would be his companion now.

Miyuki's eyes stayed on the blue-haired man ahead of her. She had watched over him, had tried to protect him from the inevitable hurt he would feel, but she had failed. He seemed like an empty shell, like the robot she had been before he extended his hand to her, and she hated it. She hated _Murdoc. _He was the cause of it all. His selfishness had brought them all here, had broken them all, skinned them to the bone for his own purposes. Now she would have to fix his mistakes. She knew what she must do, but she was scared, terrified, really, but her mission was clear. She would save them all.

The change in the terrain had not gone unnoticed even as they remained lost in their thoughts as slowly, the rocky, craggy ground began to fade into what appeared to be a dead forest. The willows around them were blackened and appeared to have been burned. There was no green in this forest, the leaves were a greasy black that shone sickeningly in the ghostly green light. Everything in this forest was dead. As they traversed, they would wince each time they brushed against a branch due to the acute emotions that would seize them: Anger, hatred, fear, sorrow. But the landscape was not the worst part of this new locale: It was the air. It was oppressive, sad. It pulled at them as though it were trying to halt their progress. The further they pushed through the atmosphere, the harder they found it was to breathe, until they were all gasping for air. Russel began to look warily around him.

"Muds?" he asked. "Is this the place? Is this where _they_ are?"

Murdoc grunted his assent, "These're the old ones—the ones who gave up a long time ago. They are the trees you see now. Watch," at this, he reached up and snapped a small twig off the tree nearest to him. An ear-piercing shriek sliced through the air, evoking winces from the men. Once the cries had subsided, Russel moved closer to the tree and was shocked to see it was bleeding from the wound. He turned to look at Murdoc who was holding the branch in his hand. It, too, was bleeding. The older man sneered and continued walking. They began to hear voices screaming, shouting, crying. Murdoc explained, "Those who offed themselves more recently are further in. They're not fully trees now and won' be until the sorrow swallows them. Tha's wot this place does. It swallows you. It pulls you in until you are as dead as these trees. Look," he pointed ahead of them to a tree close to the path. The other two men edged closer to the tree. They both gasped. A face was visible through the bark of the tree. It was a man, his lips were blue and his eyes cloudy.

"Hey, hey, fella," the man said to 2-D, "get me outta here. You need money? I got all the money you could want, just please don't let me end up like _them._" 2-D looked at Russel who was standing behind him and then back to the man. The man continued, "I don't belong here. I just couldn't take the thought of letting that bitch get our kids. Come, on. Please, just help me out."

"I'm sowwy, I can'."

"GET ME OUT OF HERE, YOU LITTLE FUCKER!"

2-D stumbled backward, startled, right back into Murdoc, who grabbed him and hissed, "Careful, now. Remember what I said, they just want company."

As they continued on, they saw how more and more of the people was exposed: arms and legs, bodies: each being consumed by the trees, "Some are taken faster as they let their sorrow and anger consume them," he motioned to the occasional tree that appeared more advanced than the others around them, some even gave no evidence that there was a human inside. "I guess you could call them the lucky on..." Murodc stopped as a voice carried over the others, singing a song he had heard before.

_"I hurt myself today, to see if I still feel."_

He turned and looked at the others, who returned his gaze. They heard it, too. It was a strangely familiar voice, and it chilled them.

_"I focus on the pain. The only thing that's real."_

Murdoc's eyes focused past them, and he stared for a second as though he was trying to comprehend what he was seeing. They followed his gaze. A woman was across the path not too far from them. Her greasy black hair hung around half of her face. The other side of her head was pressed against the tree. Its roots were snaking up her legs, embracing one of her hands and her feet, consuming her as they did all the others. Her black eyes were blank as she stared ahead, seemingly oblivious to the company around her.

_"The needle tears a hole, the old, familiar sting,_

_Try to kill it all away, but I remember everything."_

_"_PAULA!" Murdoc screeched as he sprinted forward, skidding to a halt on his knees in front of their former band mate. She gave no notice of him. She kept singing as though she were alone.

" W_hat have I become, my sweetest friend?  
Everyone I know goes away in the end"_

He looked back at the other two men. "Wha- why?" they had no answer. He looked back toward her, lifting her face to his.

"Paulie, Paula," he choked, "What've ya done?"

"A_nd you could have it all, my empire of dirt._

_I will let you down. I will make you hurt"_

_"TALK TO ME!_" he shouted, shaking her violently. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" At this, he brushed her hair back behind her ear, trying to get a better look at her face, and fell backward, his face aghast.

"_I wear this crown of thorns upon my liar's chair.  
Full of broken thoughts I cannot repair"_

A small hole marked her temple, a thin stream of blood flowed from the wound. She had shot herself. She had taken her own life.

Lying back on the ground, Murdoc sobbed, "No!" and lurched forward.

"B_eneath the stains of time, the feelings disappear.  
You are someone else. I am still right here."_

He grabbed her and pulled at her, trying to drag her away from the tree, trying to free her, ripping at the roots, clawing until his fingers bled.

"W_hat have I become, My sweetest friend.  
Everyone I know goes away in the end."_

Russel joined him as the tree, in retaliation began to pull her in deeper, the vines twisting around her body, drawing blood as it cut into her skin. Together the two men broke the roots away even as it more grew around her.

_"And you could have it all, my empire of dirt._

_I will let you down. I will make you hurt_."

"Help us!" Murdoc wailed, looking back at 2-D, who remained rooted to the ground, Miyuki at his side.

"'Hit's not 'er," he whispered as tears filled his eyes. She had been his lover once, too, but she meant nothing to him now.

Suddenly, Murdoc grabbed her face and began to pull her. 2-D shook his head, "No, Muds," but it was too late. Murdoc had yanked her head free of the trunk and screamed. The exit wound had taken a chunk out of the side of her head, exposing muscle, bone, and brain. Paula and the tree shrieked at the separation, a deafening, horrifying sound. The the men threw their hands to their ears as the willows around them took up the cry.

2-D lunged forward and pushed her head back into the tree as the wood wrapped around her neck.

" I_f I could start again a million miles away."_

She took back up her song as though nothing had happened. Her eyes still unfocused and dead.

" _I would keep myself..."_

Defeated finally, Murdoc sobbed and cupped her cheek, "I'm so sorry," he placed his forehead against hers.

"_I would find a way."_

Russel turned his back on the scene, "Goodbye, Paulie."

2-D closed his eyes.

Suddenly, her eyes focused on Murdoc. Her eyebrows knit together as he lifted his head to look back into them, "I don't wanna fight anymore, Muds."

"Then don'," he whispered, kissing her gently as she sobbed into his mouth, "Don' fight it." The tree closed around her face as Murdoc hung his head, truly weeping for the first time since he could remember. The others didn't move. None of them knew what to say.

A couple of hours later found the three men still standing in the forest. Murdoc hadn't moved, he sat on his knees with his head hung, his hand against Paula's tree. Russel watched his friend, waiting for some movement from the older man. 2-D stared blankly ahead.

It was Russel who finally spoke, "Muds?" the older man made no movement. Russel stepped closer clearing the lump in his throat with a cough.

"Is' my fault, isn' it?" Murdoc said

Russel froze, glancing back over his shoulder at 2-D, "I...I don..."

"She's here 'cause o' me. I caused all o' this."

"You haven't seen Paula in years. How could you be the cause of this?"

Murdoc shook his head, "Not Paula—Noodle."

Silence, "Yes."

Russel jumped and turned to look at the young man who had just spoken.

2-D was looking at the ground, his fists balled. He was shaking.

"Ya caused everythin'. _You_, Murdoc Niccals, are the reason we're all 'ere now," he looked at Murdoc, who had not turned around. "All you think 'bout is yerself. It's all tha' mattas ain't it? You coulda brought 'er back," 2-D stepped forward, "coulda drug 'er back kickin' and screamin', but she wos neva really yer concern wos she? LOOK AT ME!" at this, he spun Murdoc around and lifted him by his shirt front slamming him back against Paula's tree. The older man made no move as 2-D's fist connected with his chin, knocking him to the ground. Immediately, 2-D was on top of him, punching him. "My min', my fam'ly, Paula, Li'l Love. Ya've taken everythin' from me. Everythin' I eva cared 'bout, ya've taken it. I HATE YOU!" 2-D was ripped off of Murdoc as his hands closed around the bassist's throat and tossed to the ground.

"THIS SOLVES NOTHING!" Russel roared, lifting Murdoc to his feet as Miyuki ran to her friend, holding him in place. "What's going to change if you blame yourself," he looked at Murdoc, "or if you kill him?" to 2-D. "We'd still be here, just like we are now. We can deal with all this shit when we get back." he looked at 2-D, "When we find Noodle-girl." 2-D's eye's dropped and he nodded his head. Russel then turned Murdoc so that they were face to face. "Remember what you told me? We're here for her, and we're gonna find her."


	12. Last Living Souls

Since NO suggestions came, I decided to keep the story's title. It was near and dear to my heart, anyway. As a good friend of mine says: "If you don't like it, don't look."

Here we go!

* * *

Though the group were exhausted, they knew they were much too close to the demon, to Noodle, to set up camp and rest. 2-D would not stop, and the others wouldn't make him. This is why after their encounter with Paula, they found themselves standing outside a great hole carved in the wall that surrounded the forest of the suicides. Dielens' lair.

"She in there?" Russel asked after they stood outside the entrance for what seemed like an hour.

Murdoc nodded his head, "Yea. 's the only place Dielens is allowed. These guys have their stations and the Big Guy don' like 'em to leave 'em."

2-D frowned, and without a word, he walked through the cave entrance and into darkness. There was no light to lead him through the tunnel, so when the others caught up with him, he was standing, waiting for them. The flashlight Russel was carrying was no match for the darkness around them, however.

Murdoc turned to the android, "Well, 's time ta light this place up."

The others turned to look at the man, the memory of what had happened the last time Miyuki had turned on her light still afresh in their minds.

"Muds," Russel spoke, "ya can't really expect her to..." but he was surprised as an ever-increasing glow began to fill the room. She was smiling as she did to let the men know that she wasn't afraid. "Well, I'll be," chuckled the drummer, "D, wacha gotta say bout that?"

2-D didn't answer, he was focused on the newly lit room around them. He had been here before:

_She was running. Screaming. Claws, sharp as razors, ripped at her flesh, tore at her. Fire, seemingly from everywhere, licked at her skin. She blistered, she shrieked, she reached...for him. His name was on her lips, she called for him. He called her name, begging, pleading for her to simply turn around and see him reaching for her._

_"I'm 'ere, Lil' Love!" he called despairing as she fled._

"2-D?" came the question from behind him. He turned to see Murdoc and the rest of the group watching him curiously. He had spoken that last part out loud. He let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding. Countless nights he had stood in this spot and watched as his Li'l Love ran past him, a look of sheer terror on her face as hands reached out from the walls, grasping at her. The entrance to the maze stood before him and he shook at the thought of what was to come.

"Follow me, stay close," he said as he turned and walked into the maze, the rest followed him without question.

It was tight. The walls were narrow and twisted, Murdoc and Russel became concerned as larger and smaller passages twisted to the left and to the right. Each path seemed as likely as the other, but 2-D walked purposefully. The older man looked over his shoulder at the drummer who seemed to be as confused with 2-D's familiarity with the labyrinth as he. Still they walked, turning here to the left, there to the right. They were surprised, however when 2-D suddenly stopped in front of them.

While the others were concerned that he had gotten lost, the singer was standing, thinking. He was not lost—he had reached his destination. Though he knew he would not let fear get the better of him, he could not stop the deluge of questions that attacked his mind: Was she dead? Was she alive? Was she sane? Would she remember him? What if she wasn't there? What if she was? He shook his head and gasped. His heart was now pounding in his chest. "Now or never," he thought to himself and turned the corner. His heart stopped.

"NOODLE!" he shouted and darted forward to the tiny figure lying in the middle of the cavernous room. Sobs ripped their way out of his throat as he reached her, falling to his knees and scooping her into his arms. He held her, but something was wrong. Why wasn't she talking? Why wasn't she hugging him back? He knit his eyebrows together as he brushed her long purple hair out of her face. His jaw dropped open and his blood ran cold. Her eyes and skin were the color of paper. Her pupils were pinpointed and her stare vacant. Other than her breathing, which caused her chest to rise and fall rhythmically, there was no life in her at all.

"Li'l Love?" as the rest of the group arrived, he cupped her cheek in his hand and hissed. Her skin was cold as ice. He shook his head, "No, no, no. Noodle. Talk ta me, baby, please." His voice cracked, and he pulled her into in his chest, kissing her blue lips. "Please, jus' talk ta me," he sobbed, rocking her.

Murdoc bent down and took her face in his hand. He looked intently into her eyes, searching for a sign of life, but he found none. Slowly, he dropped his hand and fell to his knees, "She's gone. Her soul, 's gone."

"Whadaya mean her soul's gone?" Russel was incredulous.

"He means that I've tossed her soul into the abyss."

The three men's heads snapped toward the voice. Dielens was standing next to the gaping hole in the center of the Seventh Circle. Now, his human-like visage was gone, and he stood before him as the demon, bat-like wings outstretched and black skin gleaming in the light emanating from the abyss and Miyuki. He grinned, exposing his serrated teeth.

"Oh, by the way, Mr. Niccals, I won't be needing your services any longer," he sneered. "I have all I needed, thank you.."

"She wasn' part o' the deal, Dielens, and ya know it," Murdoc growled.

"You made her part of the deal when you sent her to spy on me. You broke the rules, so I did, too."

"Give 'er back!" 2-D shouted, still clutching Noodle's lifeless body.

"Couldn't if I wanted to, my boy," the demon addressed him. "You see, as Mr. Niccals knows quite well, we demons kind of run on a commission system, if you will. The Master has set for us a number of souls. Just as the Enemy has a Book of Life, we have a Book of Death. Our job is to collect as many souls as we can to fill that book, it's all part of the game. Your precious little Noodle has given me one more toward my goal," he licked his lips, watching the blue-haired man.

"You can' make 'er suffer fer Murdoc's mistakes" 2-D growled.

"Can't I?" he looked at Murdoc, "Deal was that you would give me your most precious treasure if you didn't hold up your end of the bargain, was it not?"

"I didn' mean her!" Murdoc pled, "I neva meant her."

"You made no stipulations as to what that treasure could be," he sneered again. "In my book, that means I get to choose, not you. Besides, the deal is done. She is gone, and nothing can bring her back. The one you call Noodle has been tossed into the abyss." he paused, scanning the group in front of him, "but there's a problem."

2-D gripped Noodle's body closer. Murdoc's eyes widened, and Russel tightened his grip on his shotgun.

"You see, the souls of the living don't count fully—About half of a soul, all told. So I need another one."

"What do you mean," Russel growled through clenched teeth, cocking his gun.

Dielens sneered, "What I mean is-" He lunged, producing a large scythe from behind his back. Murdoc rolled out of the way dodging the slice of the weapon, but was broadsided by one of the demon's wings, tossing him into the air like a ragdoll. He flipped twice and landed on his side, screaming in pain as he felt a couple of his ribs snap. Russel fired off a shot, which Dielens dodged easily. The demon grabbed him and tossed him out of his way as he continued toward the couple in the floor.

"2-D, RUN!" Murdoc shouted when it became obvious who he was going for.

Still clutching his love to his chest, he dodged Dielens' first swing, and was immediately knocked to the ground as the Demon's boot caught him in the back. The singer gasped for breath as Noodle's body rolled a few feet away from him. He reached for her hand.

Dielens laughed, and, raising his scythe, was preparing to bring it down on the distracted man when something rolled in between them. He shrieked as a hail of bullets tore through his wings and rolled backward, sliding to a stop.

"The puppet," he laughed again, "how touching." He spread his wings and shot into the air, circling above the group

Miyuki kept herself between the Demon and her friend, her gun raised and ready for action.

Suddenly, Dielens shot down, taking what he thought was an opening, but was shocked when the automaton backflipped over 2-D's head and brought her foot down on the devil's wing, sending them both to the ground. Immediately, she sprung back up and spun around, kicking him in the face. He was prepared, however, and caught her other foot. He swung her over his head and tossed her toward the abyss, but she slammed into the ground a few feet from the hole, sparks flying from her already damaged arm. Her gun skidded across the floor.

Looking back to his now useless wing, Dielens cartwheeled onto his feet and retrieved his weapon. Miyuki attempted to raise herself, but her damaged arm collapsed under her weight. Dielens laughed and strode toward the damaged Android, his scythe slung over his shoulder.

"Seems like you failed, little puppet," he sneered and raised his weapon, preparing to finish her off. Suddenly, bullets ripped through his raised arm, and the demon screeched as the scythe fell into the chasm. Spinning around, he turned to see 2-D firing Miyuki's gun walking relentlessly toward him as he fired. Noodle still clenched tightly in his embrace. His teeth were gritted and bared, and his black eyes narrowed. He didn't stop walking and firing until the gun emptied itself of bullets.

Suddenly, Miyuki found the strength flip into the air, wrapping her legs around the Demon's head. She twisted her body and arched her back. Bringing her good hand to the ground, she flipped tossing Dielens over the edge of the abyss.

He caught hold of the edge, however and dangled. He screamed in pain as he tried to flex his wings. Looking down, he began to laugh.

"She's still mine," he chuckled, "Whatever you do, her soul is mine. You've still lost."

Miyuki bared her teeth in her characteristic evil grin. From behind her back, she produced 2-D's pistol. She aimed it at Dielens' head and fired. The demon shrieked in pain and fell back into the flames of the lower circles of Hell.

Russel and Murdoc stared at her as she turned toward them, her sweet smile had returned to her face. They returned her smile. Russel stood shakily and walked over to Murdoc, ignoring the older man's shouts of pain and insults as he helped he older man to his feet.

2-D's back was to them. He was holding her in his arms, gently rocking her and humming her song—"El Manana." His voice cracked.

Slowly, the other two men joined their friend. Grunting, Murdoc knelt and placed his hand across her forehead. He leaned forward to whisper something into her ear that the other men could not hear and kissed her cheek. Russel stood over the two men. Though he was sorrowful, for him, Noodle had died long ago and he couldn't weep any more.

A sudden click from behind them, however, caused the three men to turn their heads to the Android still standing next to the abyss.

"NO!" Murdoc shouted as she lifted the gun to her head, still smiling. He tried to run forward, but he fell a few feet short, the pain in his chest overcoming him.

"Miyuki-girl," Russel said as he started edging toward the Android slowly. She stopped him by pointing the pistol at him. He stopped, "What're you doing?"

Her eyes fell on 2-D. He shook his head, "But you haven't seen the snow," he whispered. She reached in her pocket and placed something on the ground. Then, she stood, and with one last look to her friends, she pulled the trigger.

Her body shuddered slightly, then, as though time had suddenly gone into slow motion, she rocked backward on her feet until finally, she fell backward and was swallowed by the abyss. The men watched as a sudden beam of blue light shot out of the abyss from where Miyuki had fallen. It seemed to slice through all of the rings of Hell.

2-D sobbed and clutched Noodle closer, fighting the sadness that threatened to consume him

Murdoc, ignoring the pain in his side stood and walked over the precipice, staring over the side. Russel limped over to join them, but was halted by the object Miyuki had placed on the ground. It was 2-D's picture. She had kept it safe. He looked past the picture to the ground and smiled.

"Why would she do tha'?" Murdoc questioned, still staring into the void. "I don' understan'"

"I do," Russel choked and pointed toward the ground at the message Miyuki had scrawled in the dust.

_"__Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends—John 15:13. Dielens was wrong—her soul is here."_

Murdoc's mouth hung open.

A great gasping sound and a shout from behind them caused them to jump. "Noodle?" The two men turned toward the blue-haired man, who was staring down at the woman in his arms.

Her body had jack-knifed off of 2-D and she was shuddering violently, her mouth agape.

"NOODLE," he shrieked, tears streaming down his face as her body seized suddenly. She collapsed back to the ground and fell still, her chest no longer moving.

"No," Russel whispered toward the now lifeless body of his baby girl and closed his eyes as 2-D fell on top of her, weeping.

Murdoc turned away.

"Stuart?" came a weak voice.

2-D lifted his head. The most beautiful green eyes he had ever seen stared back at him.

"Li'l Love? 'S it really you? Are you real?" he reached up and touched her cheek. It was warm.

Russel's eyes snapped open and Murdoc whirled around. Her small hand cupped her love's cheek and nodded her head. "I am real now," she whispered as she pulled his mouth down to hers.

Russel didn't allow their kiss to last long as he bounded over and lifted his Noodle-girl in his arms and swung her around, laughing boisterously.

"MY BABY GIRL'S ALIVE!"

Over Russel's shoulder, she smiled toward the old man who nodded back toward her, trying to hide the tears that were threatening to escape. Finally, Russel set the girl down, and she wasted no time running back into 2-D's arms, burying her face in his chest. He smiled as he smoothed her hair before pulling her face back toward his for another kiss.

"I love you," he whispered.

She smiled, "I love you, too."

Murdoc snatched them out of their reverie, "There's jes' one thing I don' get."

2-D smiled slightly as he placed his forehead on hers, "Wha's tha'?"

"How the hell did she get a fookin' Bible?"

* * *

That's it. I hope it met your expectations. A lot of anxiety builds up for the last chapter, does it not? You just have to post it and pray to God that everyone likes it. However, like I told someone yesterday: It is my baby, and it's beautiful. I want to thank those who supported me throughout the writing process: lolilee, The Hazel Eyed Angel, HideSeekKeep, deeskato, Yennatirb, and even gimmie back that fillet o'fish (in his/her own VERY wierd way), and as always Penwryhta, my best friend.

None of this belongs to me. I thank Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlitt for either not caring about fanfiction or being entirely oblivious to it. Also, everything in Hell is drawn from Dante's _Inferno_.

Review, please. If there are some suggestions you have about some minor edits that would make the story better, please me. I respect the opinions of other writers.

Thanks again. Good night and God bless ;)

If you're interested in follow-ups to this story. Favorite me. I will be writing a series of small one-shots and chapter stories. They will be titled the "Sequelum," and will run from romance to comedy and rating T-M.

If you're not interested in follow-ups, then don't read!


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